Nick Viall attempting to ask Tom Sandoval what he learned from Scandoval may go down as one of the most uncomfortable moments in podcast history.
The 41-year-old Vanderpump Rules star got defensive as he fielded questions from the former Bachelor and his Special Forces costar, Viall, on the Tuesday, January 30, episode of “Viall Files.”
“I’ve learned so much,” Sandoval said.
“Like, what?” Viall asked.
“I don’t know, man. I don’t know, dude. I’m just trying to be a better person. I swear to God. I really am,” Sandoval said. “I don’t know what to say. What have I learned? What have I learned? To not ever do that again? To not ever be in a nine-year f–king relationship and end it that way. To not ever, like, cheat that way. Dude, I’m never going to do that.”
In case you missed it, Sandoval’s nine-year relationship with Ariana Madix ended in March 2023 after his seven-month affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss was exposed.
When Viall inquired about Sandoval’s use of cheating “that way,” Sandoval got cagey. “When you say ‘cheat that way,’ it implies that you might cheat differently,” Viall said.
“To have an affair!” Sandoval yelled. “To have an affair!”
When fellow Vanderpump Rules star Tom Schwartz pointed out that the clarification was “good,” Sandoval replied, “OK, sorry.”
As Viall pressed, Sandoval said he didn’t want to “dishonor” Madix by rehashing their relationship issues. Schwartz subsequently pointed out that the network wouldn’t let them (likely because of season 11 premiering on Tuesday), which angered Sandoval even more.
“I would love to talk about it,” Schwartz said.
“No, I am allowed to talk about it. I can say whatever the f–k I want,” Sandoval said. “[But] I’m not going to.” Sandoval then proceeded to imply that he cheated on Madix because she “belittled” him and ruined his self-worth.
This was hardly the only moment that left Us shaking our heads. Keep reading for more WTF moments:
Sandoval Arrives Late
Schwartz and Viall kicked off the podcast without Sandoval because he was late to the recording. When he did arrive, Sandoval attempted to flip the script and accuse Viall of being late when he appeared on the “Everybody Loves Tom” podcast. Viall and his fiancée, Natalie Joy, attempted to share text messages proving that Viall was either on time or only 10 minutes late to the taping, while Sandoval insisted that he was an hour late, “dude.” (Us can confirm the word “dude” was said at least 45 times during the two-hour podcast.)
Sandoval initially said he was with a “friend” and then later said he didn’t sleep the night before because he found a photo of his late friend and got upset.
Sandoval Calls Ariana ‘Petty’
While it’s somewhat understandable that Sandoval would be angry that Madix isn’t entertaining him buying her out of their shared home, it’s insane that he doesn’t realize why she might not want to help him out.
“That’s the petty [move]. ‘I am breaking up with you, and I don’t want anybody to have [it].’ It’s [like] flipping over the Monopoly board. That’s it. It’s like, ‘I’m losing at Monopoly, so I’m going to flip the Monopoly board over.’ That’s what it is,” Sandoval said, adding that “somebody always keeps the house” in a divorce, citing his parents and Madix’s parents as examples.
“Don’t you think Ariana is entitled to be petty?” Viall asked, to which Sandoval answered, “Yeah, and she’s doing a good job of it.”
The Ornament Anecdote
When Viall asked Sandoval if he desires to live a “peaceful life,” Sandoval told a story about his favorite Christmas ornament.
“There’s this little yellow ornament. It looked like Tweety Bird. I used to love Tweety Bird when I was a kid. And my mom has this ornament, and it’s, like, I used to rub my face on it because it looked like a little Tweety bird ornament,” he said. “And she always puts it in the back. She’s like, ‘It’s so ugly.’ But she hangs it for me, and I always grab it and move it to the front, to troll her. I love finding peace, man. I really do. I hope f–king, honestly, I really do hope Ariana does f–king well and keeps it going.”
The Orgy Question
Out of nowhere, Joy asked Schwartz and Sandoval if they have “ever had an orgy together,” which they both denied.
“I’m a little offended,” Schwartz said in an unclear tone.
Sandoval then added, “We kind of [have] an unspoken sort of promise that we don’t want to see each other’s penises.”
‘Fart Box’
In a wild turn of events, Viall and Joy had Schwartz and Sandoval give advice to a listener. While this is a recurring segment on “Viall Files,” it felt like one they could’ve skipped this week. After initially offering the caller advice on how to reach back out to someone after losing steam in a relationship, Schwartz suggested that they also offer advice on what not to text, leading to an odd moment.
“‘Honestly, I’m borderline offended that you haven’t reached out to me lately. I gave you my lips —’” Schwartz began before Sandoval interrupted, “I want to tongue punch your fart box.”
