Tom Sandoval Spent a 'Ridiculous' Amount of Time With Raquel Leviss Before Ariana Madix Discovered Affair

Tom Sandoval is still upset over his ill-fated romance with Raquel Leviss.

During a recent episode of Bravo's "Hot Mic" podcast, the Vanderpump Rules star, 40, sat down with the show's executive producer Alex Baskin to reveal how deep his connection with the former beauty queen, 29, was even before his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix found out about their affair.

Sandoval admitted he and Leviss "spent a ridiculous amount of time ... It’s embarrassing to say ... but we spent so much time together, talking and getting to know each other. We knew everything about each other. It was a very safe, accepting place and very positive in a lot of ways."

The former SUR bartender noted how although his "connection" to the Sonoma State alum was "real," it ended up going down a path of "escapism" from the real world. "It initially was one thing. And then it grew into something else," he said.

"But yeah, the feelings ... at one point, I would have done anything for her. You know what I mean? Like, for real, like anything," Sandoval emphasized about Leviss.

When Baskin asked the disgraced rocker if he could go back in time, he said, "If you would have asked me a year ago or longer ago, I would very arrogantly and confidently say, I will never get myself in a situation like that, anything like that, so confidently."

"And then it just happens and you're just like, holy. I'm looking back and I'm still in disbelief. How that could just happen?" he said before claiming, "I think I was so wrapped up and trying because obviously I care for Ariana."

"I was so wrapped up and trying to have the most perfect breakup. I looked at Tom [Schwartz] and Katie [Maloney's] breakup and I wanted to be even better," Sandoval noted of their costar's messy split. "And I think I was wrapped up in trying to do things perfectly."

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"I was doing this process, trying to make it perfect, but I should have just pulled the trigger and done it. I should have backed off when I felt feelings and really, really tried to get to the root of where those were coming from and if they were just for this person or the need to feel loved because I was lacking so much love," he said. "I was yearning for it. ..I was yearning for that admiration in my life that I wasn't getting. And so when I got it, it became intoxicating to me."