Tom Sandoval apologizes to ex Ariana for ‘devastating’ Raquel affair

Own his mistakes. Tom Sandoval speaks out – again – after his divorce from Ariana Madix in the midst of his affair with Rachel Leviss.

“I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I have hurt through this process. Most of all I want to apologize to Ariana,” he wrote in an Instagram statement on Tuesday, March 7. “I made mistakes, I was selfish and made reckless decisions that hurt someone I loved. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly.”

The Vanderpump Rules star continued, “I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really terrible about that. My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. It was never my intention to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends.”

Us weekly confirmed on Friday, March 3 that the bartenders called it quits after nine years of dating due to Sandoval’s infidelity. Bravo fans have been following the now-exes since 2014.

“My love for Ariana was stronger than any camera could ever capture,” Sandoval wrote in his apology. “Some of our best times together were never filmed. The same goes for some of our biggest problems.”

TomTom’s co-owner told fans he wished his history with Madix “hadn’t been seriously tarnished”, adding: “[I wish] it ended with the same respect for her that it began with. I owed Ariana more.”

Sandoval claimed he felt “extremely sad” that his romance with the Florida native “ended the way it did” and admitted his mistakes. “The choices I made hurt so many people,” he wrote. “I acted in a way that clashes with who and how I want to be. I keep thinking and working on myself. I have work to do. I have always done that and I always will.”

The musician previously spoke of backlash against his company after news of his cheating scandal broke, but his initial statement did not mention Madix, who brushed off her social media presence amid the drama.

Leviss, for her part, has not spoken out publicly about her affair with Sandoval. However, the beauty queen reportedly sent a legal notice to some of her Vanderpump Rules costars about an intimate FaceTime conversation between her and Sandoval, claiming she was unaware the video was being recorded. (Madix allegedly found the video on Sandoval’s phone, which led to the duo’s breakup.)

As the dust continues to settle around the Bravo scandal, fans are wondering what the future holds for Sandoval and Leviss. A source told exclusively Us that the costars’ connection is “the real deal.”

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“They confided in friends that it’s love and they’ve fallen hard for each other,” the insider said, adding that the fling wasn’t “a regrettable affair” for either reality star. “It doesn’t excuse what they’ve done and the people they’ve hurt, but they see a long-term future together. Only time will tell if their bond can survive the backlash.