The reality stars spoke with ET at the 2023 White House Correspondents Association Dinner on Sunday.
For Ariana Madix, the drama and turmoil of the past few months have actually taught her something very important about her own emotional endurance and inner strength.
Madix was joined by Lisa Vanderpump at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, and the reality stars spoke with ET about being at the gala, and the rollercoaster year thus far.
"I'm just so excited to be here! This is such a thrill to be invited by the Daily Mail and Lisa," Madix marveled. "To be able to experience this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a moment that I've honestly dreamed of."
Madix added, "I've watched this correspondents dinner on television the coverage every year so to be able to be here is really incredible."
Madix's tumultuous love life has been front and center of entertainment news coverage over the past two months amind "Scandoval" -- the popular term for the cheating scandal that emerged when it was revealed that Madix's longtime boyfriend, Tom Sandoval, had been cheating on her for months with fellow Vanderpump Rules co-star Raquel Leviss.
Scandoval has rocked the show itself, with many fans both captivated and angered by the situation and has led to serious turmoil among the cast.
"Normally, the magic of this show is the ups and the downs... the authenticity of the show," Vanderpump shared with ET. "When people talk about their real lives and their feelings, it's what keeps people engaged."
"There's a lot of people that have tried to mimic us and tried to create shows but without the authenticity of real friendship," she continued. "That's why it hurts, that's why people bleed for Ariana. Because they were invested in real relationships, and that's what people are talking about."
When asked about the show itself, and the stability of those real friendships, Vanderpump said, "Right now it's a mess. I don't know if we can sort it out."
That being said, the ongoing drama has taught Madix something about herself. "[I've learned] that I can do anything," Madix said. "I can handle anything."
For more on the ongoing drama, check out the video below.
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