'Vanderpump Rules' star Tom Sandoval feels 'sorry and embarrassed' for comparing his scandal to George Floyd's murder
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Vanderpump Rules' star Tom Sandoval recently faced severe criticism for comparing his cheating to the cases of O.J. Simpson and George Floyd. The reality star received heavy backlash for it and soon realized that he was wrong. He took to his Instagram story on Tuesday to apologize for making an inappropriate comparison of his cheating scandal to a murder. He wrote, "My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times Magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received."
Tom added, "The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant." He went on to apologize, "I'm incredibly sorry and embarrassed." Tom's apology followed heavy trolling after he attempted to explain why his affair garnered substantial attention. He had remarked, "I'm not a pop-culture historian really, but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it's a little bit the same?"
'Vanderpump Rules' star Tom Sandoval believes he received 'more hate' than rape-convicted actor Danny Masterson
Tom was not attempting to equate his scandal with any heinous crimes; instead, he was merely comparing the attention his affair with Raquel Leviss received compared to other actors. In explaining himself, Tom pointed out that he felt he received more backlash than Danny Masterson, the 'That 70s Show' actor who was convicted of raping two women. Tom said, "I feel like I got more hate than Danny Masterson, and he’s a convicted rapist."
Tom Sandoval was 'depressed' and struggled while filming 'Vanderpump Rules' Season 11
'Vanderpump Rules' Season 11 centered around the challenges in Tom and Ariana Madix's relationship, which took a negative turn. Tom confessed to feeling "depressed" during the filming of the show, attributing it to a mix of show-related stress, life challenges, and business issues. When asked about the reasons behind his depression, he explained, "Somewhat show-related. Just life. Business stuff. It’s hard."
Reflecting on the experience, Tom stated, "It has its fun moments, but for the most part it sucks. I’ve been buzzed through most of it." Despite contemplating quitting at a certain point, he ultimately decided to stay on the show. Tom expressed his belief that Raquel will also return to Bravo after a season or two, suggesting, "What else is she going to do?"
'Vanderpump Rules' star Tom Sandoval reflects on his single life
Reportedly, Tom is currently not dating anyone, marking the first time he has been single as a celebrity. After a decade-long relationship with Ariana and a brief romance with Raquel following their breakup, Tom is now navigating the challenges of being unattached in the public eye.
Reflecting on his newfound single status, Tom stated, "It’s the first time I’ve ever been single as a celebrity." He clarified, "I’m not saying I’m a favorite celebrity, but still just having some notoriety and being single, it’s a cool muscle to flex." Discussing his perspective on reality TV, Tom candidly admitted, "I have no respect for it." He goes on to mention that he doesn't even have respect for the actors. "Our show can be toxic to film and very stressful," says Tom.