'It Could've Been So Much Worse': Ariana Madix Says Therapy Helped Her 'Be in a Better Position' Amid Tom Sandoval Scandal
Oct. 18 2023, Updated 11:39 a.m. ET
Ariana Madix revealed that talking through her problems prior to her ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval cheating on her with Vanderpump Rules costar Raquel Leviss was the right move.
"Therapy helped 100 percent. Some of the work I was doing in therapy right before all of this set me up to be in a much better position. It could’ve been so much worse," the 38-year-old said in a new interview about how she coped.
“This situation made me realize that I can do hard things,” she added. “The worst-case scenario literally did happen, and I was OK. Like, look — you can handle what’s thrown at you.”
After the scandal broke, the blonde beauty didn't realize how many people were actually invested in her life. "I was off social media initially, so friends filled me in here and there. I was like, 'This is crazy,' but it was also happening in the midst of not eating and not sleeping. It was a weird juxtaposition of emotions and feelings," she shared, adding that still shocks her that a comment was made during the White House Correspondents' Dinner earlier this year.
Though Madix has moved on with boyfriend Daniel Wai, her feelings toward Sandoval and Leviss haven't changed, and she's happy to be there for other people going through the same thing she did. "It’s incredible. Sometimes I’ll go to the mall and meet someone who’s been through a similar situation. And then we’ll talk in the middle of Sephora and cry and hug each other," she shared.
- Ariana Madix Admits Tom Sandoval's Affair With Raquel Leviss Deeply Affected Her Confidence in Relationships: 'I Don't Know How I Can Trust Anyone Again'
- Ariana Madix Says She Doesn't 'Pay Attention' To The Drama Amid Tom Sandoval Cheating Scandal
- Ariana Madix Wasn't 'Suspicious' About Tom Sandoval Having an Affair But Knew Something Was 'Going on With Him Mentally': 'He Was Good at Hiding the Evidence'
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In the meantime, Madix is "having the best time" on Dancing With the Stars.
"If I could do rehearsals and performances every day for the rest of my life, I’d be happy. I find it so rewarding and fun," she gushed. "If you were to put me in my samba outfit three months ago and say, 'OK, go have lunch in this on Vanderpump Rules,' I would’ve been really self-conscious. But I’m focused more on what I’m doing and less on how I look, and that’s different for sure."
Meanwhile, Sandoval seems to still be thinking about his ex, as he brought her up during a recent episode of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
"I've had a h--- of a, like, three months," Sandoval said, admitting that he had "an affair."
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Us Weekly spoke with Madix.