Scandoval might have turned Ariana Madix into a legit celebrity, elevated in the the upper levels of reality star fame instead of just part of a large ensemble cast. She had a profile in The New York Times, she was on the Today Show, and now she’s snagged a Glamour cover and detailed profile. They really give her the full reflection and new beginning treatment, complete with a light-makeup, light-colored clothing, backyard photoshoot. (My only quibble is that it’s dog-only, what is this cat erasure?!) The profile also has the most detail I’ve seen about Ariana’s backstory, including her childhood in Florida and her early adult years in New York. And of course, the affair scandal and her plans for the future. Some highlights:
On why people are so obsessed with Scandoval: “There are layers to it. The best-friend layer, the fact that [he] and I were together for so long and so many people, including myself, saw us as endgame. It’s the deception, the trying to manipulate a narrative, the fact that so many people have been through this themselves and they recognize parts of it.”
On her immediate reaction to discovering the affair: “I think the shock prevents you from being sad immediately. It was like the air was sucked out of my lungs. It was shock, disbelief on some level, but then also anger. When you’ve been caught red-handed like that, there’s no denying it. It’s cold, hard evidence. So I think he was struggling. I think he was really mad that his little house of cards was crumbling.”
On feeling free now: “I definitely feel this sense of freedom because I was the adviser, the sounding board. And he didn’t like that he wasn’t getting constant validation from his adviser. Now I feel like I don’t have to worry about anybody but myself.”
On the taking the new opportunities she has access to: “We have no generational wealth in our family. I want to make enough money to be able to take care of my mom and my brother and any other family members who may or may not need it. I never want to worry about it ever, ever, ever. So I will work as much as possible to not have to.”
On how she hopes this will help fans and herself: “I feel close to a lot of people who watch the show or who will come to BravoCon or who I’ll message with on Instagram. I know maybe it sounds silly—we’re strangers—but I do feel close to them. I feel like we’re a community. And so with this, I hope that in talking about it and allowing [Bravo] to capture it, maybe I’ll be able to connect with a community of people who will be able to say, ‘This is how I got through this. This is what worked for me.’”
On the theory that it’s all fake: “If I was not a fan, like I wasn’t really paying attention, I might think that about any given show at any given time. If someone says that on my page, they get blocked immediately. If they tag me in a comment that says that, I’ll block them immediately. I’m kind of like, ‘F-ck off, this is my real life.’”
I do think Ariana hit the nail on the head with why people are so obsessed with Scandoval. Despite being on a reality show, they seemed like a pretty normal, stable, and relatable couple. And Ariana herself seemed more normal and less like the other delusional fame-hungry strivers on the show, so I think a lot of viewers already related to her. Everything but the fact that it was filmed for posterity is all a very human experience. Also, she says that Tom hid affair evidence in their shared laptop! Either this man wanted to be caught or he’s so dumb. You can definitely see that Ariana feels free now after the end of that relationship. She may not have realized how much it was dragging her down, but now it seems like she has a million opportunities for partnerships and sponsorships and she should certainly capitalize on that for her career and her family’s future. It’s nice that Ariana wants to provide for her family instead of asking her mom for her retirement money to fund her bar. As for connecting with fans over this, I think it’s a two-way street. She’s hoping to learn how others got through this, but also setting the blueprint for even more people about how to move on after a breakup. And it probably really bites Tom’s ass that this has legitimized Ariana’s fame, but turned him into even more of a joke.
I don’t know who these people are but if it were to come out that it was all fake I would not be surprised at all. I mean, it’s a “reality” show and those shows need drama, and we’ve experienced manufactured drama again and again. Could this be the 1 show where it’s not fake? I suppose.
none of these people are good enough actors to pull this off.
There was a blind item suggesting that the scandal was “timed” to drop. I can see that. Or rather, I wouldn’t put anything past Andy Cohen, lol. What would be TRULY disturbing — and this is just speculation from me — is if other people were aware of the affair and were in fact keeping Madix in the dark. Like… Truman Show-level orchestration of a real person’s real life, for the sake of good TV. Again, just speculation.
This comment is so important: “We have no generational wealth in our family.” for those of us in a similar situation. I really appreciate her shedding a light on that.
Later in life is when this becomes really important, because as you get older, you’ll need more care.
There was JUST a story that Kaiser posted about her and this crap going on in her life last week and I STILL did not know who this was. Again, it’s shitty what she has been put through by her former partner and friend. I do know that she was very nasty to Kristen when that guy ended things with her. I know Kristen was/is messy but she was still nasty to her. People need to be kinder to each other, and respect that we are vulnerable humans more than we do.
i’m confused by your comment. you dont know who ariana is, but you know that she was mean to someone named kristin? how can you not know who she is, but know that about her?
I dunno… when I started watching season one, my friends labeled *current* photos of the cast so I could keep track, and I was like “everyone looks so different now, I have no idea who is who”
I watched a TikTok yesterday where she pokes some fun at herself/the situation by doing an ad for Duracell batteries. It’s quite funny. Tom seems like he is the kind of guy who thinks waaaayyyy too highly of himself, so I bet she does feel much lighter and freer.
She’s a great interviewee and she’s got a great mind. She expresses herself so well. I bet he feels it every day what a HUGE support system he lost. She did so much for him. “Now I feel like I don’t have to worry about anybody but myself” hit me right in the gut. That must feel nice
IMO I think the show is fake. This couple got together after they cheated on another couple and waves of hate flow on the tabloids. Rinse. Repeat. Storyline same old. Latest? Hook up at Cow Cello for the poor broken hearted who recovered quick as a bunny. Ex dastardly Villan is enjoying Rock Star tour.
If people like watching the show, good for them. Best wishes to all. No hate here.
tom kissed ariana when he was still with his previous girlfriend, who was also cheating on tom. that was it. ariana did not have a lengthy affair with her best friend’s partner of 9 years.
i dont know if you watched the reunion (it sounds like you didnt), because if you did, you would know that there is no way that was all faked. if it was, they all deserve oscars, and i just refuse to believe that any of them are actually that talented.