Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix has broken her weekslong silence on the breakdown of her relationship with longtime boyfriend and castmate Tom Sandoval, who was very publicly exposed for reportedly cheating on her with another costar.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Madix thanked loved ones and her fans for the outpouring of support since the scandal broke, saying they have helped keep her going.
"i want to express my most sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and support i have received from friends, family, and people i’ve never even met in the last two weeks. when i have felt like i couldn’t even stand, you all have given me the strength to continue and seen me through my darkest hours," Madix wrote.
"to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement. however, i know that i am not in this alone," she added. "so many of my closest friends are also grieving this loss right now and reeling from this betrayal on so many levels. i am so fucking lucky to have the best support system in the world and i hope i can repay every single person for the love you have shown me. what doesn’t kill me better run."
Her statement comes weeks after Sandoval, her then-boyfriend of nine years, was exposed by TMZ for reportedly carrying on an affair with Raquel Leviss, her friend and fellow Vanderpump Rules cast member. Sandoval and Leviss allegedly wore matching lighting bolt necklaces, and Sandoval dressed up as Leviss for Halloween.
People reported that Madix found out about the affair after discovering video of Leviss that was "sexual in nature" on Sandoval's phone.
The discovery of Sandoval and Leviss's affair caused a frenzy among Bravo fans, who combed through their past interactions on the show and on social media, and breathlessly devoured every new detail of their romantic entanglement.
Madix initially deleted her Instagram account when news of the affair broke. Since then, Sandoval has publicly apologized to Madix, and Leviss released two statements, one of which contained an apology to Madix.