In related news, Bravo has released the first teaser of the upcoming season 11 of 'VPR' that heavily centers on Sandoval and the aftermath of the headline-making Scandoval.
- Nov 4, 2023
AceShowbiz - Tom Sandoval didn't really have the best time when joining his "Vanderpump Rules" co-stars for a panel at BravoCon. The TomTom bar co-owner was struggling to answer questions as he was booed by the crowd at the Las Vegas event on Friday, November 3.
Of the bad experience, Sandoval sarcastically said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, "So warm and fuzzy inside." He continued, "When you feel like people hate your existence, when some guy gets on stage and goes, 'So Tom, why would you come here? Literally nobody wants you here. Nobody likes you.' That was a little tough."
His best friend and co-star Tom Schwartz tried to make him feel better by saying, "Maybe they were using some sort of reverse psychology. Don't you remember back in the day, like, in middle school when you liked someone and you were sort of mean to them?" Sandoval, however, wasn't convinced as he replied, "I don't think so."
During the panel, the tension was thick as the crowd made it hard for Sandoval to speak by booing him continuously. "It feels good to be here in Vegas. It's BravoCon," the cover band frontman, who received backlash for his affair with fellow "VPR" star Raquel Leviss while still dating Ariana Madix, said amid the booing.
Lisa Vanderpump, who was present at the panel alongside other "VPR" cast members including Lala Kent, Katie Maloney, James Kennedy and Scheana Shay, later attempted to do crowd control. "I love them all individually, dearly. They have all screwed up at some point - maybe not to this extent," she said. "I've seen them grow up, and I think the magic of this show is they've had these intense relationships with each since way before the show started - and also with me. So I can't judge them on one episode."
"This season was extraordinarily difficult for Tom and Ariana … but for me as a maternal figure and a matriarch and a mentor to them … [I] try to facilitate some cohesion," she added. "This is 'Vanderpump Rules'. It's not 'Little House on the Prairie'."
Later during the panel, Madix talked about filming season 11 of "VPR" following the headline-making drama involving her, Sandoval and Leviss, who didn't return for the new season. "It was weird, it was difficult, and I'm glad it's behind me," she told moderator Karamo Brown.
"I knew it was gonna be difficult, I knew it was gonna be weird," she later added. "I knew I was gonna have some very strong and ultimately negative feelings but I think if anything, the last year has shown me I can do hard things and it was hard but we did it."
In related news, Bravo released the first teaser for "VPR" season 11. The first-look footage heavily centers on Sandoval and the aftermath of Scandoval. "To lose his best friend, his business is up the creek. Everything has gone wrong in his life," Vanderpump tells Shay and Kent.
The other cast members can be seen struggling to pick sides amid the drama. The teaser also features Madix lashing out at her ex. "Ruin my life, my home, and then f**king attempt to kill my f**king dog. My lawyer will be dealing with you," she warns.
Season 11 is scheduled to premiere sometime in January 2024 on Bravo.
