Not her world — anymore. Pregnant Stassi Schroeder opened up about experiencing the fallout of Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss‘ affair from the sidelines after her Vanderpump Rules exit.
The Bravo alum, 34, dove into the drama during the Thursday, March 30, episode of the “Scrubbing In” podcast with hosts Becca Tilley and Tanya Rad. “I tried to stay away from it for a really long time,” she said of stories involving her former costars. “That was what was most healthy for me.”
Schroeder added: “Even now, it’s been kind of hard — not gonna lie — to see all of this Vanderpump Rules stuff come up and it’s everywhere. I’m DM’d about it all day long, like, ‘I’m gonna need you to weigh in, I’m gonna need you to weigh in.’ At first, I was like, ‘Oh, this is interesting and crazy that this is happening.’ And then it kind of was like, ‘I’m having a little triggered moment.’”
The New Orleans native, who is currently expecting her second child with husband Beau Clark, was fired from the hit reality series in June 2020 for past racist behavior. Original cast member Kristen Doute was also axed, along with newcomers Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni.
Watching the uproar surrounding Sandoval, 40, and Leviss, 28, has resurfaced some old feelings for Schroeder. “I’m like, ‘I used to live in this world for so long,’” she said on Thursday, joking that it’s “unfair” that she’s “not even being paid” but is still “living” the drama.
Us Weekly confirmed on March 3 that Sandoval and Ariana Madix split after nine years of dating due to his infidelity. The Next Level Basic author teased that she’ll “never forget where” she was when the news broke.
“We were literally at my house, and I’ve been cleaning out my closet because I’m turning my extra room into a nursery,” the Amazing Race alum, who welcomed daughter Hartford in January 2021, recalled. “We were literally photographing my clothes … and I was like, ‘Holy s–t, holy s–t, holy s–t.’ … I’ll tell my grandchildren [about it].”
Schroeder isn’t the only celebrity to have been swept up in the cheating scandal — Chrishell Stause, Chrissy Teigen and more stars have shared their thoughts on social media as details have continued to emerge. Her former costar Doute, meanwhile, was spotted filming scenes for the remainder of season 10 as cameras were picked back up in the wake of the affair news.
Both Sandoval and Leviss addressed their relationship and publicly apologized to Madix, 37, before the cast gathered to tape the bombshell reunion special on March 23. One day prior, the former beauty queen told TMZ that she and the Schwartz & Sandy’s co-owner began as friends before they “turned into something more.”
She added: “We’re just trying to get through these next through steps and make amends and hear everybody out. … We’re just kind of taking a break for now.”
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Sandoval, for his part, spoke to the same outlet on Monday, March 27. “Hindsight’s always 20/20,” he said. “Like, if you look back at a situation, you think of all the things you should have, would have done better. … They say time heals all wounds, so we will have to see what happens.”
