After facing fierce backlash, reality star Tom Sandoval apologized Tuesday for comparing the fallout over his Vanderpump Rules cheating scandal to the police killing of George Floyd and the O.J. Simpson trial.
Sandoval was the subject of a New York Times magazine profile published on Feb. 20.
The article titled “How Tom Sandoval Became the Most Hated Man in America” rehashed his affair with co-star Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, while he was still living with longtime girlfriend and fellow Vanderpump Rules star, Ariana Madix.
The article included an interview with Sandoval about the affair — known to Bravo viewers as “Scandoval.”
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The Times reporter asked Sandoval his thoughts on why the affair became one of the most buzzed-about pop culture topics of 2023.
His answer, “I’m not a pop-culture historian really, but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it’s a little bit the same?”
Sandoval wasn’t done with the comparisons and brought up That 70’s Show alum Danny Masterson, who a Los Angeles judge sentenced to 30 years in prison last year following his conviction for sex crimes.
“I feel like I got more hate than Danny Masterson, and he’s a convicted rapist,” Sandoval said.
The fallout was instant, with people across social media slamming Sandoval for making tone-deaf comments.
Hours after the NYT article went live, the Bravolebrity posted an apology on Instagram for his “ignorant” remarks.
“My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received. The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I’m incredibly sorry and embarrassed,” the statement said.
Thanks to “Scandoval,” Vanderpump Rules surged in ratings last year for the show’s 10th season.
According to Deadline, the season reached 11.4 million total viewers, and it was the most-watched cable series in the 18-49 demo.
Despite the drama and tears on the show, “Scandoval” brought new opportunities (and paychecks) for both Sandoval and Madix.
She starred in the Lifetime movie Buying Back My Daughter last fall alongside Meagan Good.
Meantime, Sandoval landed a role in the Lifetime movie Tall, Dark and Dangerous, which premiered earlier this month.
Leviss is focusing on her podcast and decided to leave reality TV behind, according to E! News.
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