Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval is making light of a very dark time, cracking jokes with paparazzi ahead of the premiere of Special Forces season 2. While Tom has been filming for the upcoming Vanderpump Rules season 11, it has been a difficult time for all of the cast members as they've returned to work in the wake of Scandoval. After cheating on his partner of nearly a decade, Ariana Madix, with Raquel Leviss, Tom has been spotted back in Los Angeles working on the Bravo series that made them both famous. While Tom is back, Raquel has yet to make her return, at least publicly.

After leaving a club with friends, Tom spoke directly to a paparazzi photographer for TMZ who wasn't afraid to ask some prying questions. When asked about the rumors that despite living together, Tom and Ariana don't make eye contact with one another, Tom chuckled into the camera. "We don’t really look at each other too often," Tom mused, a smirk on his face. “We don’t even look at each other when we have sex anymore, it’s crazy.” He laughed at himself quickly, throwing out an, "I'm just kidding," to clarify.

Tom Sandoval & Ariana Madix’s Relationship Explained

Tom has always been a jokester, which is one of the things Ariana found herself attracted to when the pair first met over a decade ago. At the time, Tom was dating former Vanderpump Rules cast mate Kristen Doute, and he cheated on her with multiple women, including Ariana. After Tom and Kristen's volatile breakup, Ariana and Tom got together quickly and despite some normal troubles, seemed to have a fairly healthy relationship for the next nine years. It was only in late 2022, when Tom began spending more time with the newly single Raquel, that things began to genuinely go downhill for the couple.

While Tom and Ariana's relationship wasn't perfect, it was beginning to become clear during the end of Vanderpump Rules season 10 that the couple were dealing with some serious issues. By the time Tom's affair with Raquel came to light, Vanderpump Rules had wrapped for the season, but began filming again to capture the drama surrounding the collapse of the long-term relationship. Tom has since gone on to film FOX's Special Forces season 2, which will put him to the ultimate physical and mental test as he tries to connect with himself in a way that could help him heal from his most recent trauma.

With Tom feeling comfortable making jokes about the current state of his relationship with his live-in ex, things may be shifting for the Vanderpump Rules cast. Though it has been made clear by Ariana that she won't be filming with Tom or Raquel moving forward, the tides may be changing for the rest of the cast, and some relationships could be slowly repairing themselves. Regardless of whether his jokes are funny, Tom will be bringing his brand of humor back to Vanderpump Rules.

Source: TMZ