Vanderpump Rules

Tom Sandoval's affair with Raquel Leviss has moved into the "love" category ... at least, according to his friend and business partner Tom Schwartz, who's spilling a TON of tea about the Scandoval.

Schwartz finally opened up about the messy relationship drama Wednesday night on "Watch What Happens Live" ... telling Andy Cohen he knew the 2 hooked up way back in August, but thought it was a one-time thing.

That is, until January when Sandoval dropped the L-bomb on Schwartz.

He says his buddy admitted he was in love with Raquel -- something Schwartz was mostly shocked by, but not completely ... adding their "emotional affair" was sort of an "open secret."

Fans have been wondering why Schwartz didn't fill in his friend Ariana Madix about the sneaking around, and he answers that question, too -- putting the blame squarely on Sandoval.

TMZ broke the story, Sandoval and Ariana split last month after she found explicit messages on his phone, and it's been a whirlwind of drama ever since.

The "Vanderpump Rules" cast filmed a reunion where we're told things got heated ... and fans everywhere are dying to see it all unfold.

As we reported, Schwartz was pretty quiet for a while but spoke out for the first time last month ... remaining firmly on the fence in the fallout between his friends.

Sandoval shared some of his thoughts last week, BTW.

He kept things pretty vague, but noted his businesses with Schwartz have definitely taken a hit in response to the scandal.

The "Vanderpump Rules" tell-all reunion is gettin' closer every day, and Bravo just dropped the first looks at the cast's wardrobe choices -- and Ariana Madix isn't just seeing red, she's wearing the hell out of it!!!

The reality stars look fierce in the new pics, with Ariana taking center stage as she flaunts a lot of skin in her red revenge dress. She's also got a healthy amount of bling on her fingers, too.

Raquel Leviss' look is a lot tamer, relatively speaking, as she's rockin' a mint green outfit along with a look of deep concern. Tom Sandoval, at the top of this love triangle, went with a classic suit sans tie.

Bravo showed off everyone else's 'fits, too -- Scheana Shay looks great in a sparkly dress, Tom Schwartz is all smiles in his blue corduroy, Lala Kent stepped out in a leopard-print piece, and Lisa Vanderpump rightfully wore ALL the diamonds with her black dress.

As we reported, Tom and Raquel were spotted having a serious heart-to-heart on reunion day ... unclear what they were chatting about, but you know all the drama surrounding them must've been on their minds.

No word on a specific airdate for the reunion, only that it'll be in late spring -- but we're on the edge of our seats, waiting for it all to unfold.

"Vanderpump Rules" stars Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix are living under the same roof ... despite the fact everyone knows they broke up after she found out Tom cheated on her with Raquel Leviss.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Tom and Ariana are continuing to live in their Valley Village home when they're in town, though they're no longer sleeping in the same room obviously.

It's not going to be an easy split ... Tom and Ariana each own 50 percent of the home, according to property records, and we're told they have not sat down to talk about what they'll do with it.

It's kinda cringeworthy ... they are sometimes still in the house at the same time. With the palpable anger, it's gotta be rough.

While it sounds like a pretty awkward setup, Tom and Ariana aren't always in town at the same time ... our sources say she's up in Seattle filming a Lifetime movie for the next few days ... and we first reported, Tom took a Southwest flight home this week to visit family in St. Louis.

The home is 4,453 square feet with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms ... so there's enough space to create a buffer zone of sorts. Think "The War of the Roses."

Raquel stopped by the pad this week ... but we were told she didn't spend the night and was just saying bye to Tom before he took off for his hometown. Kinda weird, right?

Raquel Leviss is still spending quality time with Tom Sandoval, and they're cozy enough to be hanging together in the very home where Tom lives with Ariana Madix for years.

The "Vanderpump Rules" villainess -- to most fans -- was outside Tom and Ariana's place tossing a bag into the trunk of her car Wednesday around 4 PM.

Here's the thing ... Raquel was wearing some very comfy clothes and slides as she made her exit.

As for Tom's location, well he left his home about half an hour after Raquel ... on his way to catch a flight outta town.

Sandoval made his way to LAX around 7 PM, catching a Southwest flight to his hometown of St. Louis. He was flying solo, so apparently, he's not ready to bring Raquel home to meet the fam.

Photogs brought up the elephant in the room at the airport -- as well as a couple more Qs, but the guy wasn't in the mood to chat, instead makin' a beeline to check his bag.

However, the fact he and Raquel are close enough to kick it where he lived with his ex is pretty telling about how close they remain, now that the 'Scandoval' dust is settling.

As we reported, Raquel was a no-show in court Wednesday for the hearing over her restraining order against Scheana Shay. She'd alleged Scheana attacked her over the affair ... but since she skipped court, the restraining order was dismissed.

Now we know what, or who, was more important than court for Raquel.

Raquel Leviss' court-ordered protection from fellow "Vanderpump Rules" star Scheana Shay is officially no more ... the temporary restraining order's been officially dismissed.

Raquel was a no-show for court Wednesday for a hearing on the matter, so the judge made the decision to drop it. Scheana was there, ready to tell her side of the story, but it wasn't necessary given the fact Raquel didn't attend.

As we reported, Raquel announced at the "VPR" reunion she wasn't going to move forward with the restraining order -- even presenting dismissal docs -- Wednesday's court hearing made it official.

The dismissal closes the book on one aspect of the "Scandoval" affair. As we first told you, Raquel got a TRO three weeks ago ... claiming Scheana attacked her as soon as she found out Tom Sandoval was cheating on Ariana Madix with Raquel.

Scheana's camp has maintained she never really attacked Raquel in New York City, as Raquel alleges ... they say RL was simply hamming it up for the cameras during the reunion show taping.

The TRO also complicated the reunion  ... Raquel and Scheana were separated during last week's taping, with each reality star in her own trailer while the other was on set.

Meanwhile, Tom says he regrets cheating on Ariana ... but he's still with Raquel and they look very much like a couple.

Tom Sandoval has opened up publicly, at least kinda sorta, saying he couldn't handle the whole cheating thing better, but at the same time, he gives himself some wiggle room by talking about the clarity of hindsight.

Tom was outside Pop Music Studios in the San Fernando Valley Monday night when a photog asked if he had regrets about cheating on Ariana with Raquel. He says he does, but also says, "Hindsight's always 20/20, man."

As for why he's taking so much heat, given it's not the first-ever cheating scandal on "Vanderpump Rules," Tom passes it off this way ... "I just think it was really unexpected."

He says he regrets cheating, but the fact is ... he's still with Raquel. We got photos of Tom and Raquel out after the explosive reunion show. They were chowing down at Musso and Frank in Hollywood and looked very much like a couple.

TMZ broke the story of details from the yet-to-be-aired reunion show, in which things got so heated Andy Cohen had to step in between 2 cast members to avert a physical fight.

There has been financial fallout. Tom acknowledges, his restaurants have taken a hit since the scandal broke.

Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss may have a ton of new enemies, but they're clearly not letting outside noise hinder their support for one another ... because they went out for dinner together after filming the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion.

The reality TV stars hit up The Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood late Thursday night, capping off a very tense day on set. We're told no one else was there from the cast.

Folks who were there tell us Tom and Raquel arrived at the famous restaurant around 10 PM, grabbing a booth together and ordering a bottle of wine, oysters and some entrées.

It sounds like the reunion show was a big topic of conversation at dinner ... at one point we're told Raquel was overheard saying, "I can't believe she said that."

Tom and Raquel didn't engage in any PDA ... though they were sitting very close to one another in their booth and looking very much like a couple.

As we reported, Tom and Raquel had a serious heart-to-heart convo outside the studio during Thursday's reunion taping ... going through a range of emotions as cameras rolled.

Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss were dragged through the mud at the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion taping Thursday ... and we're told the show got so bad, Andy Cohen had to separate 2 other cast members to prevent an assault and battery.

Sources close to production tell TMZ ... the taping became explosive within 2 minutes, and never let up for the entire 5 hours of shooting. NO ONE sided with Tom and Raquel. Quite the contrary ... they were annihilated by everyone, including Lisa Vanderpump and Andy Cohen.

One source described it this way... "It was like a nuclear bomb went off in the studio."

As for which cast members almost got in the fight ... we know it was not Tom, Raquel or Ariana ... we're told the instigator "is not someone you'd guess."

Andy asked Tom and Raquel how their affair started -- they didn't give a time frame but said they hooked up but didn't immediately dive into a relationship ... there was some period of time before they were all in with each other.

As for Ariana ... it's interesting. She was equally enraged with Tom and Raquel. We're told she did not go over the top, even though she cried at times. One source said the way she was speaking and what she was saying sounded like she's had some serious therapy.

We're told Tom, in particular, was just destroyed ... so much so, they all took a break to calm down, but when they came back it was just as intense.

We covered the Scandoval developments in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Raquel Leviss' attempt to squash her beef with Scheana Shay is just a staged stunt for cameras during the reunion taping -- one that has NO impact on their legal battle ... at least that's how Scheana sees it!

Scheana’s lawyer, Neama Rahmani, tells TMZ ... “Rachel had Andy ‘serve’ Scheana with a document during the reunion, but the papers have no legal meaning."

He says the docs were a request to dismiss a complaint or a civil lawsuit -- but Raquel had already requested a permanent restraining order, "which is something completely different."

Rahmani says there's no way for Raquel to drop the current temporary restraining order ahead of next week's hearing, either ... and notes the docs handed to Scheana weren't filed with any court.

Bottom line for Scheana's camp is Raquel simply hammed it up for the sake of the cameras. Scheana's attorney says if Raquel really wanted to mend fences, she'd publicly confess Scheana never really attacked her in NYC, as she alleged in court to get the TRO.

As we reported, the 2 reality stars were separated during Thursday's taping ... each was in her trailer while the other was on set. Tom Sandoval and Raquel were spotted having a deep convo with each other outside the studio during Thursday's reunion.

It doesn't appear Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss have lost any feelings for each other despite some serious outside pressure ... sharing a deep convo during the show's reunion.

Check out the pics of Tom and Raquel -- both dressed in black like it's a funeral -- as they sit in the parking lot outside their dressing room trailers for Thursday's taping of the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion show.

Things look serious at times, but happy during others ... all while cameras roll.

Obviously, it's unclear what exactly they're talking about, but the show's special is supposed to get explosive -- as it's the first time Tom, Raquel and his ex, Ariana Madix are all coming face-to-face to talk about Tom's cheating with Raquel.

TMZ broke the story ... show producers also had to navigate the logistics of including Scheana Shay in the reunion as Raquel currently has a restraining order against Shay.

Remember, Raquel claims Scheana attacked her after learning of the cheating situation, dubbed "Scandoval," and the order demands Shay stay 100 yards away from Raquel. We're told Raquel and Scheana will be rotated in and out of the reunion set to avoid each other.

We covered all the latest developments in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Ariana Madix is giving the sex toy company she recently cut a deal with something to scream about ... because we're told there's been a MASSIVE turnout in sign-ups for her big giveaway collab since she dropped the news.

A spokesperson for the adult-themed shop, Bellesa Boutique, tells TMZ ... in less than 24 hours since the "Vanderpump Rules" star announced her vibrator giveaway, the site's had tens of thousands of sign-ups!!!

We're told Bellesa's already given away 400 free vibrators as part of the collab, and the team's expecting to cross the 1K mark. The giveaway has most people walkin' away with a gift card that ranges from $30 to $75, with only a small number winning the free toy.

We covered the most recent Scandoval developments in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Twitter's been loving every minute of this perfectly timed collab -- and Bellesa even jumped in on the fun with a hilarious meme about those "wronged by a Tom."

As we reported, Ariana made the giveaway announcement Thursday, saying you "gotta change up your vibe" sometimes -- cleverly referencing her breakup with Tom Sandoval after he cheated on her with Raquel Leviss.

The drama is unfolding on the set of the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion show ... the cast members arrived around 9:45 AM ahead of the highly-anticipated taping.

Tom Sandoval showed up to the San Fernando Valley set looking like he's going to a funeral -- dressed in all black -- which may be fitting, because he's likely to be buried for cheating on Ariana Madix with fellow cast member Raquel Leviss.

Ariana, fresh off her recent brand partnership with a sex toy company, is glowing ... she's rocking a yellow hoodie and matching sweats, and she just got her nails and hair done.

She definitely is sending Tom a signal ... her head-to-toe ensemble by Boys Lie includes graphics that read, "WE'RE SORRY THE NUMBER YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH HAS MOVED ON."

Lala Kent pulled up with a huge designer bag ... and we've also seen arrivals from Katie Maloney, Scheana Shay and Tom Schwartz.

Of course, it wouldn't be a "Vanderpump Rules" reunion taping without the big dogs ... Lisa Vanderpump's in the house, and she was met with a huge embrace from reunion moderator Andy Cohen.

No sign of Raquel yet ... remember, her restraining order against Scheana is complicating the reunion ... but she is in L.A., because we got her yesterday at LAX and a nail salon, and she was pretty chatty.

As we first told you, Raquel and Scheana have to be kept apart when they're both on set. When one of the women is filming with the rest of the cast, the other has to be sequestered in a hair and makeup trailer.

The seating chart is out too, and there are two versions. When Raquel is filming, she's sitting between the Toms and is five seats away from Ariana. When Scheana is on the set and Raquel's in her trailer, Scheana is seated at the end after Tom Schwartz.

The "Vanderpump Rules" crew has seemingly figured out the work-around for Raquel Leviss' restraining order against Scheana Shay for the reunion ... and it involves a BIG separation at all times.

A source close to production tells TMZ ... when Raquel is on set filming with the rest of the cast, Scheana will be sequestered in her hair and makeup trailer watching a live feed of what's happening on the stage. When It's Scheana's turn for the cameras, Raquel will then head to her trailer.

We're told the reunion hasn't started filming yet, but it's expected to go well into Thursday evening. Our sources tell us Andy Cohen already filmed solo one on one interviews Wednesday with Raquel, Tom Sandoval, and Ariana Madix -- which obviously should be super juicy.

Of course, the extra work to get both costars on the same set comes after Raquel got a temporary restraining order against Scheana after allegedly getting attacked by Scheana in NYC, causing a bruised eye and a cut on her face -- around the same time Tom and Raquel's affair went public.

As for the alleged assault, Scheana's attorney Neama Rahmani tells us, "This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Rachel [Raquel], period."

Jax Taylor is offering up his thoughts on Tom Sandoval's affair with Raquel Leviss ... saying he believes Tom's been cheating on Ariana Madix for years -- and Tom's famous business partner knew all about it.

The former "Vanderpump Rules" star spilled the tea with his wife Brittany Cartwright on Wednesday's "Watch What Happens Live" -- telling Andy Cohen he wasn't shocked at all when the Scandoval drama came to light. He also claims he was practically a witness for the infamous Miami incident years ago.

Fans of the show remember the long-standing rumor that Tom cheated on Ariana with a girl in Florida at the very beginning of their relationship ... and Jax says he was in the next room when it went down.

He's certain this has been a frequent thing with Tom, but still won't go into specifics on what he knows.

Jax also talks to Tom's business partner Tom Schwartz on the daily, and claims the guy knew about all of this, too -- swearing on his own child and even quoting what Schwartz told him.

Brittany and Jax go on to connect some dots from the past that seemed harmless at the moment ... stuff like going to the same parties together. Jax even recalls a time when Ariana told Tom her grandma wasn't doing well while he was at a party with Raquel, but he chose to stay instead of leave and comfort his GF.

For what it's worth, this is all coming from Jax -- someone who's known as the OG cheater on the Bravo series, and he seems to recognize that irony, too.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix knows how to keep herself satisfied following a messy split from her boyfriend ... because she signed a deal with a sex toy company.

Ariana made the announcement Thursday with a social media post, telling fans they can get a free vibrator by signing up for her giveaway.

The reality TV star is partnering with Bellesa Boutique ... and she says she's changing up her vibe following her breakup with Tom Sandoval.

As you know ... Ariana and Tom were together for a decade, until she recently found out he had been cheating on her with fellow cast member Raquel Leviss.

We haven't seen Ariana move on with any new romantic partners ... and with her new deal, she doesn't need to rush out to find a man for sex.

Raquel Leviss must not find the airport to be too conducive for conversation -- 'cause while she was mum there about the drama ... she sang like a canary at a nail shop.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star was greeted by a photog Wednesday outside of Blush Nail Bar in Valley Village, CA -- just outside of North Hollywood. She was sitting there all by her lonesome ... and was certainly ready to answer questions, unlike earlier in the morning.

Remember, she was caught on camera at LAX not too long before this ... and was radio silent on the cheating controversy, only giving courtesy nods and waves to paps.

Here, though, she's fully opening up about ... well, everything. It's interesting to hear her perspective -- the first time we're really getting her side of the story, and how things stand.

Check out the convo ... RL addresses everything from taking accountability for her actions -- which she says she's prepared to do at the reunion taping tomorrow -- to an attempted reconciliation between herself and Ariana Madix, which doesn't sound like it went well.

Of course, she's teasing the big reveal ... which will undoubtedly be aired on Bravo in the near future. But even with the obvious promo involved, she's quite transparent here.

Raquel touches on where things are with her and Tom Sandoval -- and one line of hers is revealing ... she says they're not labeling things and not sure if they'll stay together. At the moment she says they're on a "break" ... and they'll see where they go from here.

Another topic that's addressed ... the alleged attack from Scheana Shay, which Raq seems to be implying did in fact happen -- if the scar on her eyebrow is to be believed.

There's more Raquel dives into ... Tom Schwartz and his rumored knowledge about all this included. Give it a watch -- it's fascinating how much she actually spills on camera.