Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval has been forced to apologise after comparing his infidelity drama to the murder trial of O.J. Simpson and death of George Floyd.
Reality star Tom was the subject of a scandal in March 2023 – dubbed ‘Scandoval’ – after admitting to cheating on girlfriend Ariana Madix with their mutual friend, Rachel Leviss. Earlier this week, the 40-year old sparked further outrage when quizzed by the New York Times magazine about why the episode became a pop culture phenomenon.
“I’m not a pop-culture historian really,” Tom began. “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?”
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Interviewer Irina Aleksander subsequently tried to put the comments into context, only for it to seemingly fall on deaf ears, prompting Sandoval to say he was sorry.
(Image: Getty Images)
“I think I knew what he meant,” Aleksander explained, in a bid to diffuse the situation. “He was trying to express the oddity of becoming the symbolic center of a nationwide discussion and a major news story; what he communicated instead was something more honest, which is just how much the experience had made him lose perspective.”
After word got back to Vanderpump’s production company Bravo, however, more information was sought from Aleksander. She added: “A Bravo publicist rang me late on a Friday. Some of what Sandoval had said had gotten back to Bravo, and everyone was concerned. What was it that he said about O.J. Simpson and George Floyd exactly?”
(Image: Variety via Getty Images)
Sandoval soon issued the following statement in response, meanwhile. “My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received.
“The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I’m incredibly sorry and embarrassed.” Sandoval was the subject of a huge fan backlash when details of his affair first came to light. His relationship with Madix unsurprisingly fell apart, with the pair going on to find love with new partners.
(Image: Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images)
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Leviss sought treatment from a mental health facility after the relationship controversy became public knowledge, resulting in her severing ties with Sandoval and shunning his attempts to contact her.
Sandoval said he’d harboured hopes of a reunion, but it wasn’t to be. “She never even gave me any closure,” he said. “It was really hard. It still messes with me.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
