Ariana Madix hints at her future on 'Vanderpump Rules' during the seasons 11 reunion finale.
Ariana Madix might be stepping away from Vanderpump Rules for good. The 38-year-old reality star, who has been a staple on the Bravo series, revealed during the explosive season 11 reunion finale that she no longer intends to film with her ex, Tom Sandoval, following his highly publicized affair with their former co-star, Rachel Leviss.
"I just want you away from me," Madix tearfully told Sandoval as they delved into their tumultuous breakup. "I just want you gone and I don't want to be in a position where I'm being forced..."
Sandoval tried to interject, saying, "That is our job," but an emotional Madix responded firmly, "I'm not forced to do anything." Despite Madix's determination to distance herself from her partner of nine years, Sandoval echoed Lala Kent's previous remarks about the necessity of interactions for the sake of the show.
"That's the thing, it's always having the one conversation with the one person you don't want to have it with," Sandoval emphasized. "Like Lala said. That is what we do." To this, Madix retorted, "I'll have that conversation with everybody else, but I am not in a place to have a conversation with you."
Even with Sandoval's repeated apologies for his infidelity and deceit, Madix confirmed she is ready to move on to better days.
"You also brought a f**king person into both our lives in a very f**ked up way," she said of Leviss. "And this b**ch has to f**king talk about me all the time. And you did that. You did that! And I just want to be away from you."
Sandoval, who is also embroiled in a legal battle with Madix over their shared home, eventually accepted her decision. "I wish you the best and I will definitely give you your space," the 41-year-old reality star shared. "We'll figure everything out. We have our lawyers, don't worry about it. I understand."
Madix also addressed Kent's criticisms in the season 11 finale, where Kent accused her of refusing to engage with Sandoval on camera. The Something About Her owner expressed her hurt feelings.
"It hurt my feelings a lot," she said, wiping away tears. "It really does because I was trying so hard and then I feel like it's our job to live our lives and I'm living authentically by walking away from that. I could have done it for the show, but I don't think our show thrives when things aren't fully real and that would not have been real on my part."
Kent, however, stood by her stance and explained why she was still "a little f**king annoyed" by Madix's behavior.
"I enjoy filming this show," said the Give Them Lala podcast host. "I'm happy that Ariana has been catapulted into opportunity. However, I will be damned if one person doesn't step up to the f**king plate. Because at least if you don't give a f**k about your position on the show because you're thriving, I'm gonna need you to give a f**k about mine!"
VPR reunion host Andy Cohen brought up Lisa Vanderpump exiting The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills when she realized she didn't care to interact with the cast anymore.
"You go to the reunion with an intention to reunite, I did not want to reunite," the Sur owner said. "I didn’t want to see any of them again. If you want to fight because you think you want to go forward, then fight for it. If you want to say, 'I'm f**king done,' then that's OK, too. So, you have a point that maybe people haven't been exactly honest, but if Ariana is walking away, at that point, nobody can tell me she hasn't shown up. She has shown up! If I had been in that situation, I wouldn't have shown up, with my husband and his mistress or whatever. So, yes, she has."
Madix seemed touched by Vanderpump's defense of her. "Sometimes, it's OK to walk away," Vanderpump finished.
Cohen opened the discussion up to the group, asking if anyone had anything else to say about the ending of the season. Shay wanted to know what Madix thought and if she understood why Kent was so frustrated.
"I understand the frustration," Madix answered. "I don’t understand the insults."
Vanderpump Rules showrunner Alex Baskin recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the Bravo series' current status and its future following the dramatic Scandoval fallout.
"Just because we really closed the book on Scandoval does not mean necessarily that the show is over," Baskin said, addressing the intense speculation about the show's continuation.
The season 11 reunion finale was emotionally charged, leading fans to wonder if it marked the end of Vanderpump Rules. However, Baskin firmly dispelled those rumors.
"No. No. Obviously there’s been a lot of speculation. People have written the show’s final chapter many times, and the show has continued. So just because it’s a reflective moment that clearly marks the end of one chapter does not necessarily mean that it is the end of the show," he explained. "You see there is still a lot of fertile ground and developments in their lives, so I think it would be very premature to say that just because we really close the book on Scandoval in a lot of ways, because it was this moment that sort of blew up everything and that extended into the next season, does not mean necessarily that the show is over."
All episodes of Vanderpump Rules are now streaming on Peacock, including a new, unseen footage special.
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