Vanderpump Rules

Brittany Cartwright's not closing the door on reuniting with estranged husband Jax Taylor ... but, she has to see serious changes before reconciliation can truly begin.

We caught up with Brittany out in Los Angeles on Friday ... and we asked her all about her split with her husband of almost five years -- specifically asking if the couple's taking any steps to mend fences.

Cartwright says Jax hasn't made much of an effort to work things out ... adding she's asked Taylor to hit some relationship benchmarks, but nothing's happened yet.

Despite Brittany saying there is a lack of movement on Jax's front, she says she's not giving up on her man yet ... seriously hoping to get back together eventually.

She's also confronting rumors that this separation is a publicity stunt head-on ... saying there's no truth to that online gossip.

Brittany alludes to a ton of fighting between her and Jax as well ... adding both she and the couple's son -- 2-year-old son Cruz -- deserve better.

Romantic issues aside ... Brittany says she and Jax still plan on working together --  cohosting their podcast 'When Reality Hits' and even filming their "Vanderpump Rules" spin-off "The Valley" while dealing with their issues.

We broke the story ... even though Jax claimed the couple was still living together through their separation, sources with direct knowledge told us that just wasn't the case -- and pics of her moving out provided further confirmation.

All this came after Brittany announced the news on an episode of their podcast earlier this week ... seemingly bringing an end to a relationship that began almost a decade ago.

3/2 9:58 AM PT -- Rachel Leviss' rep is responding to Lisa's dig ... calling the comments, "A disappointing choice for an executive on the show since victim shaming is a defense mechanism often used by abusers and coming from a person in a position of power can cause even further harm to a person's mental health.”

Lisa Vanderpump is coming to the defense of her old friend Andy Cohen amid some new allegations -- and in the same breath ... she's taking a swipe at Rachel Leviss.

The former 'Housewives' star -- who obviously ended up getting up her spinoff show on Bravo -- was arriving at LAX at landing back in town Friday ... where our photog ran into her and asked her all about the latest drama going on in the reality world, and there's a lot.

For starters, our camera guy asked about Leah McSweeney's claims in a new lawsuit she filed this week against the Bravo honcho ... alleging he'd partaken in cocaine, not to mention claiming Bravo at large was a toxic hell hole that coaxed their stars into boozing/debauchery.

Well, Lisa has some thoughts on all that ... and she goes to bat for AC here, telling us she's never seen him do any hard drugs -- nor does she know him to be how Leah described.

On the notion that Bravo is pressuring 'Housewives' into drinking on set ... Lisa says what a lot of her contemporaries have already been making clear -- the stars are adults, and they don't have to do anything they don't want to. Bottom line ... she calls BS on Leah's suit.

Lastly, Lisa weighs in on the legal battle brewing in her own world ... namely, Rachel suing Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix over revenge porn, among other things.

She doesn't have very nice things to say about that either -- noting Rachel probably should've never compromised herself on camera the way she did if she didn't want it out.

We clarify, though, that Tom's alleged to have recorded her from his phone and circulated it with the cast ... but even then, she doesn't have much sympathy for her ex-employee.

Bottom line ... Lisa's good with Andy, not so much with Leah and Rachel. That much is clear.

Brittany Cartwright is NOT moving back in with her estranged husband Jax Taylor in the wake of their separation ... contrary to what Jax is suggesting to the media.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... despite the former "Vanderpump Rules" star's recent claim that he and Brittany are living together again, that's simply not the case. We're told they are, in fact, living separately at the moment.

Instead, our sources tell us Jax and Brittany are still taking time apart after fighting a lot over the past year ... which ultimately ended with them separating. Our sources say both of them need space away from each other -- part of that includes them being under different roofs right now.

Now, Brittany did stop by the family home Thursday ... but we're told she was only there to grab some of her belongings, which she brought over to the nearby home that she's renting.

The reality stars announced their separation Thursday on their joint podcast, "When Reality Hits with Jax and Brittany" -- with BC saying she needed time apart for her mental health after a rough time in their marriage.

Our sources tell us the separation was a long time coming, and it was brewing over the past year or so as they fought about a number of different things.

Jax and Brittany have been together romantically for nearly a decade and they got hitched in 2019, and we're told they're going through a tough patch in their marriage ... just like any other couple.

Our sources say the fighting isn't over any one specific issue, and more importantly -- we're told there is NO infidelity from either side here. We're told they need just time apart for their own mental health ... and for the sake of their 2-year-old son, Cruz.

We're told Cruz is shuttling back and forth between the family home where Jax lives and Brittany's rental home ... and the parents want to keep things amicable for their kid.

On this episode of The TMZ podcast ...

Bianca Censori's father, Leo Censori, believes Kanye West is tearing her away from her family and wants to confront him about her "trashy" nudity.

Hailey Bieber is reportedly "pissed" at her dad Stephen Baldwin for asking the public for prayer over her and Justin Bieber's marriage. Speaking of Hailey ... her sister, Alaia Baldwin Aronow, was arrested for assault and battery after she allegedly threw a used tampon at staff in a Georgia bar.

Rachel Leviss has filed a lawsuit against Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix, alleging a number of accusations, including revenge porn.

Plus, Geri Halliwell flew in to Bahrain reunite with her husband Christian Horner amid the leaked texts scandal.

Rachel Leviss está llevando a Tom Sandoval y Ariana Madix a los tribunales, y tiene que ver principalmente con un video íntimo que estos habrían hecho circular con el elenco.

La ex estrella de "Vanderpump Rules" acaba de presentar una demanda contra su ex amante y amiga, quienes fueron sus compañeros de reparto por mucho tiempo antes de que el Scandoval estallara el año pasado, y en los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, ella está alegando una serie de cosas, incluyendo una venganza porno.

Rachel afirma que Ariana se enteró de al menos dos grabaciones que estaban en el teléfono de Tom y que la mostraban desnuda y masturbándose. Rachel alega que los clips fueron tomados sin su conocimiento o permiso mientras estaba envuelta en un romance con Tom.

En la demanda, Rachel afirma que Tom debe haber grabado esos chats de FaceTime en secreto porque no era consciente de que los hubiera guardado. En cualquier caso, dice que cuando Ariana tropezó con el material de archivo, ella supuestamente lo habría compartido con otros miembros del elenco de "Vanderpump Rules".

Rachel afirma que Ariana se enfrentó a ella en marzo de 2023, antes de que el Scandoval se acabara oficialmente y le envió los dos videos ilícitos en cuestión. Ariana Madix supuestamente le dijo a Rachel que estaba muerta para ella.

También afirma que Scheana Shay la atacó después de esto, lo que la llevó a pensar que Scheana también había visto los videos, por no hablar de otros coprotagonistas del show.

Además de estas acusaciones, Rachel alega que Bravo y la compañía de producción detrás del espectáculo fomentaron un ambiente de trabajo inseguro y hostil para Rachel una vez que el Scandoval salió a la luz, permitiendo, por ejemplo, que los miembros del elenco la criticaran duramente y la reprendieran durante una reunión de rodaje.

Vale la pena señalar que Rachel no está demandando a Bravo aquí, solo a Tom y Ariana y a un grupo de no identificados que podrían haber sido parte de todo esto.

2:41 PM PT -- Rachel’s lawyer Mark Geragos tells TMZ … "This lawsuit is squarely about illegal behavior and those who traffic in it and enable it. Rachel has apologized for her part in an affair. That’s not a crime. Tom and Ariana are alleged here to have engaged in criminal acts. They then doubled down and used those actions to shame, bully, belittle, and intentionally try to destroy Rachel’s mental health."

Geragos adds, "The law makes it clear that recording someone without their consent and distributing that illegal recording is punishable by law; however, doing so while knowingly enticing them to engage in sexual acts deserves the harshest of penalties allowable under the law."

Rachel Leviss is taking Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix to court -- and it mostly has to do with this intimate video she says they circulated with the cast.

The former "Vanderpump Rules" star just filed a lawsuit against her ex-lover and ex-friend -- both of whom were her costars for a long time before the Scandoval blew up last year -- and in her docs, obtained by TMZ, she's alleging a number of things ... including revenge porn.

Rachel claims Ariana became privy to at least 2 recordings that were on Tom's phone -- which she says depicted her in a state of undress and masturbating ... clips she alleges were taken without her knowledge or permission while she was involved in an affair with Tom.

In the suit, Rachel claims Tom must've recorded these FaceTime chats secretly ... 'cause she says she wasn't aware he had them saved. In any case ... RL says when Ariana stumbled across the footage ... she allegedly shared it with other 'VPR' cast members.

Rachel claims Ariana confronted her in March 2023 -- before the Scandoval officially broke -- and sent her the two illicit videos in question ... and AM allegedly said Rachel was dead to her.

She also claims Scheana Shay attacked her after this ... which led her to believe that Scheana had also seen the videos, not to mention other costars from the reality show.

In addition to these claims, Rachel alleges Bravo and the production company behind the show fostered an unsafe and hostile work environment for Rachel once the Scandoval broke ... allowing cast members to dogpile her and berate her during the reunion filming.

Worth noting, Rachel is not suing Bravo here ... just Tom and Ariana for now, and a bunch of unidentified Does whom she says might've been party to all this stuff.

Also worth mentioning -- her attorneys are the same ones who've filed suits on behalf of other Bravo stars of late. We've reached out to Tom and Ariana ... so far, no word back.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Tom Sandoval is fighting Ariana Madix as she tries to force a sale of their home ... claiming he loaned her a big chunk of change that he wants back before selling the crib they shared.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Tom alleges he loaned Ariana $90,000 and that she hasn't paid him back.

More importantly, Tom wants Ariana to fork over the dough before a judge potentially orders them to sell the house and split the proceeds.

In his response to Ariana's lawsuit, he also says he has a lien on the house that's directly tied to this alleged loan to her -- and he says no sale can go down until this is dealt with.

As we first told you ... Ariana is suing Tom over the Los Angeles house they co-own. They lived there when they were a couple, but Ariana wants to sell it and split the money now that they've broken up as a result of his cheating scandal.

Tom's so far resisted ... and now it looks like he's digging his heels in even further and claiming she needs to settle up with him over this loan before selling the house. As for the other allegations Ariana made in her original suit ... he issues general denials against them.

Remember ... Tom and Ariana bought the place back in 2019 for around $2 million, and like most real estate in Los Angeles it could probably sell for more now.

Tom's also recently said he's offered to buy out Ariana, making a $3.1 million cash offer to keep the place for himself.

Tom Sandoval's comparison between George Floyd's murder and his cheating scandal's not just drawing ire from fans ... it's also pissing off the mother of George's young daughter.

Roxie Washington, -- who shares 10-year-old Gianna with George -- tells TMZ ... she's not super familiar with "Vanderpump Rules" and doesn't even know who Tom Sandoval is ... she does say he has to be off his rocker to compare his own personal issues to Floyd's death.

ICYMI ... Sandoval sat down for an interview with the New York Times where he said, "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?"

Well, Roxie tells us she finds Sandoval's comment flat-out stupid ... adding he and his ex-GF, Ariana Madix, are still alive ... so him trying to compare his situation to George's just isn't reasonable, nor is it even in the same ballpark.

Even though she's not familiar with "Scandoval" ... Roxie says from what she can gather -- Tom's a grown-ass man who's just gone through a breakup ... not a child -- like her daughter, whose dad isn't coming home.

RW didn't just blast TS for comparing his situation to George's death either -- adding Nicole Brown Simpson's dead too, so she finds it just as disrespectful for Sandoval to invoke her name as well.

Roxie says Tom needs to go repeat that "dumb s***" in a mirror ... telling us his comment reflects horrible things Gianna hears from some classmates. She also says this is on the same level of absurdity as comments Kanye West made in the past. So, yeah ... she's kinda comparing Tom to that.

Remember ... in 2022, Kanye claimed Floyd died from a drug overdose/preexisting conditions, and Roxie threatened to sue KW on behalf of her daughter -- though it's unclear if she ever filed a lawsuit.

On this episode of The TMZ podcast ...

Tiffany Haddish is being slammed by folks online after she joked about 'finding a man' on her trip to Israel.

Travis Kelce was spotted getting some rest & relaxation in Las Vegas, hanging with friends and hitting the golf course at the Wynn Golf & Country Club!

One of the suspects in the Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting admitted to firing off the first shots ... before allegedly saying he "shouldn't have done that."

Tom Sandoval angered the internet after he compared Scandoval to the O.J. Simpson case and the murder of George Floyd. He then clarified his remarks and added that he is "incredibly sorry and embarrassed." Yikes.

Plus, a couple from '90 Day Fiance' had their fundraiser halted after fans started to doubt a cancer diagnosis.

Subscribe to The TMZ Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

Tom Sandoval's meet-up with Lisa Vanderpump descended into chaos on Tuesday's installment of "Vanderpump Rules" ... with her post-affair grilling not sitting well with him.

Remember, Tom was busted for cheating on Ariana Madix with Rachel Leviss in March 2023 ... with cameras rolling on the new season a few months later -- and by the looks of it, at the time of filming, he was still in the thick of it all.

Tempers flared as Lisa quizzed Tom on why he was still living with ex Ariana in their shared home ... urging him to do the gentlemanly thing of moving out, giving her space, and selling the pad. Tom wasn't having any of it, saying he wanted Ariana to let him buy her out instead, adding, "One of us can keep it because it is a great house. I put a lot of work and money into it."

There was clearly no changing his mind ... telling LVP he'd already sent AM a letter of intent and his real estate agent had also spoken to her about it ... but so far, there'd been radio silence from her.

Tom became more wound up when Lisa asked him if he was doing his best to move on from the scandal he'd created in the first ... raising his voice to get his point across that he knew he was responsible for the mess but was doing his best to navigate it.

Though, Lisa clearly didn't like his tone, urging him to stop, have some remorse, and stop being angry ... but he said his fury was warranted 'cause she was attacking him. Yikes.

As for where Tom stood with his VPR costars ... looks like things weren't great on that front either. He blasted them all for their mob mentality .. telling Lisa whenever he apologized, it fell on deaf ears ... and when he cried, they accused him of shedding crocodile tears.

He urged her to see things from his POV, saying he's not exactly living a rockstar lifestyle, ... adding he's battled with suicidal thoughts over the aftermath of the affair.

Tom Sandoval tiene una nueva mujer en su vida y es una modelo que fue vinculada a Leonardo DiCaprio cuando era más joven.

Fuentes cercanas a la estrella de "Vanderpump Rules" le dicen a TMZ que Tom está saliendo oficialmente con Victoria Lee Robinson durante un mes más o menos.

También nos dicen que están disfrutando de su tiempo juntos y se lo están tomando con calma. Básicamente no es nada realmente serio, pero se están dando la oportunidad de que así sea.

Tom ha presentado Victoria en sus historias de Instagram un par de veces, incluyendo la noche del miércoles, cuando publicó un video y una foto de ellos en el Schwartz y Sandy coctel salon y restaurante en Los Ángeles.

En diciembre, Tom y Victoria fueron a un festival de comida en Los Ángeles, pero nos informan que fueron solo como amigos. Desde entonces, un romance ha florecido claramente.

Victoria es una modelo de moda de alta costura y ha trabajado con Ford Modeling Agency.

Al igual que muchas grandes modelos en este negocio, ella tiene una historia con Leonardo DiCaprio. Fueron vinculados en el verano de 2016 cuando fueron fotografiados saliendo de una fiesta posterior a la gira de Justin Bieber en Nueva York, cuando ella tenía 23 años. Sí, justo en el terreno de Leo.

Ahora está con Tom, quien parece haber dejado el Scandoval en el pasado.

Hemos visto a Tom salir de bares con mujeres al azar un par de veces el año pasado -en Missouri y Tennessee- y en septiembre, negó un romance rumoreado con el cantante y compositor Tii.

Con Tom de vuelta en Hollywood y su reality show comenzando una nueva temporada en televisión - que ha dejado atrás el Medio Oeste, por ahora, y vinculado con una modelo de la Costa Oeste. ¡Buen movimiento!

Tom Sandoval has a new woman in his life ... and it's a model who was linked to Leonardo DiCaprio when she was younger.

Sources close to the "Vanderpump Rules" star tell TMZ ... Tom is officially dating Victoria Lee Robinson. We're told Tom and Victoria have been hanging out lately and have been officially dating for about a month or so.

We're also told they're enjoying their time together and seeing where things take them -- so it's not super serious, but it has potential to get there.

Tom's featured Victoria on his Instagram Story a few times recently ... including Wednesday night, when he posted a video and a photo of them at his Schwartz and Sandy's cocktail lounge and restaurant in Los Angeles.

Back in December, Tom and Victoria went to a food festival in L.A. together ... but word was they went as friends. Since then, a romance has clearly blossomed -- 'cause they're bangin'.

Anyhoo, in terms of who this gal is -- Victoria is actually a fashion model ... and she's worked with Ford Modeling Agency.

Like a lot of big-time models in this biz, she's got a history with Leonardo DiCaprio. They were linked back in the summer of 2016 when they were photographed leaving a Justin Bieber tour after-party in NYC, when she was 23. Yeah, right in Leo's wheelhouse.

Now, however, she's with Tom ... who has firmly put the Scandoval behind him.

We've seen Tom leaving bars with random women a few times last year -- in Missouri and Tennessee -- and in September, he denied a rumored fling with singer-songwriter Tii.

With Tom back in Hollywood, though -- and as his reality show starts a new season on TV -- he's left the Midwest behind for now, and linked up with a West Coast model. Good move!

Ariana Madix has a well-defined line in the sand, which Tom Schwartz crossed by supporting Tom Sandoval on TV -- and she let him know it with a very NSFW insult!

Here's the deal ... season 11 of "Vanderpump Rules" finally premiered last night after months of waiting, and the drama picked up right where it left off, focused on the "Scandoval."

Dismiss any thoughts of Ariana letting it go ... she still seems pissed about Sandoval cheating on her with Rachel Leviss -- because she told Scheana Shay she's now got Schwartz blocked on everything, and told him straight up, during the season 10 finale, they wouldn't have a relationship.

Well, as you might know, Schwartz went on 'Watch What Happens Live' a few weeks after the finale filming, and showed some love for the other Tom -- telling fans to give him a "hug" if they see him.

AM admits that pissed her off, and she texted Schwartz one last time before blocking him -- and, though, she claimed that final text wasn't "that bad" ... he has a different memory of it.

In fact, he has receipts -- in Tuesday night's premiere, Schwartz read the text on-air ... "It says, 'F*** you, I am blocking your number. Go choke on Sandoval’s dirty ass d*** some more.’"

Yeah. Not that bad. 😂

Schwartz has sorta straddled the line throughout the scandal -- apologizing to Ariana and condemning Sandoval's actions while still showing love for his close friend and business partner.

It's led to some current and former costars blasting him for not taking a harder stance, and for knowing about the affair and keeping quiet.

Rachel Leviss plans to keep tabs on the new season of "Vanderpump Rules" ... not 'cause she's a fan, but more so ... because she wants to see how they're gonna talk about her.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Rachel will, in fact, be tuning in to watch the season 11 premiere Tuesday night -- not just that, but we're told she'll actually keep up with the show as it rolls along in the coming months without her.

We're told Rachel intends to use her iHeartRadio podcast, "Rachel Goes Rogue," as a platform to respond to how she is mentioned and portrayed on 'VPR' ... depending on what is said, and if she feels she needs to set the record straight.

Rachel's not alone here, BTW ... 'VPR' fans are very much interested in how Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix and the rest of the cast deal with her abrupt exit following the Scandoval, which went down at the end of last season.

Remember ... Rachel and Tom got dragged across the coals at the reunion. As part of the affair fallout, Rachel went off to a mental health facility in Arizona and ultimately decided to leave the Bravo reality show.

Now, while Rachel will be talking 'VPR' on her podcast from time to time, our sources are adamant it's NOT going to turn into some general, weekly recap of the world she left behind.

Fact is ... Rachel's podcast is doing very well on its own already, so she doesn't need 'Vanderpump' to keep it relevant. She will, however, chime in as she sees fit.

Rachel normally spends most of her time on the podcast talking about her mental health journey and the impact the show, its cast and the Scandoval had on her ... and we're told the reception has been strong and 'RGR' hovers around the top of various podcast rankings.

Tom Sandoval is ripping Ariana Madix for trying to force the sale of their shared house -- 'cause he says he's provided a reasonable alternative ... buying her out with a fair price.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star spilled a little alleged tea about what he says is the real story about this house of theirs that Ariana wants to unload -- the same one they bought together, and where they lived for a long time before their nasty breakup last year.

TS went onto Nick Viall's podcast this week and told his side of the story -- basically, he claims Ariana is being petty ... insisting he's made a cash offer of $3.1 million to keep it for himself.

Tom explains that they purchased this house for significantly cheaper than what he's offering her right now -- so her turning it down, in his mind, is just her continuing to throw a fit about the affair. TS also claims she's hardly there and that she hasn't paid a single bill in months.

TMZ broke the story ... Ariana sued Tom earlier this month in an effort to force a sale of their home, which they bought together back in 2019 for around $2 million.

But now, Tom's firing back, saying ... she's doing the equivalent of flipping a Monopoly board when somebody's losing. That's exactly how he frames it ... likening her to a little girl pouting.

It's interesting ... Tom agrees with Nick here -- who says he can understand where Ariana is coming from, and why she would just want to sell the place without letting him have it.

With that said ... Tom thinks she's just being spiteful for spite's sake. Clearly, he wants this place on his own -- and his cash offer does sound pretty sweet.

Seems like they're both digging in their heels and gearing up for a big fight over the house.

"Vanderpump Rules" has cemented its status as reality TV royalty with its high-impact drama ... and by the looks of it, season 11 is set to be juicer than ever.

The show has brought in some A-list fans over the years -- such as Lady Gaga and Darren Criss who had a night out at Tom Sandoval & Tom Schwartz's bar TomTom they co-own with Lisa Vanderpump.

Even Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne had a date night at Lisa's recently-closed PUMP restaurant ... so let's take a quick look at others who've pumped their support into the reality star's restaurant franchise!

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend were another pair keeping the romance alive ... leaving the kiddos at home to recreate the kissing portrait at TomTom.

"Jersey Shore" stars Snooki and Deena Nicole Cortese partied the night away with one of the Toms at TomTom.

"Girl Meets World" star Ben Savage also met Tom at the bar ... the duo became quick friends, as evidenced by this smiling snap.

Point being here ... tons of stars have popped into Vanderpump-esque establishments -- and with the new season coming out today, it sounds like that'll continue for years to come.