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In a 2020 interview, Ariana Madix from 'Vanderpump Rules' said she was very much in a monogamous relationship with Tom Sandoval.

Published on March 8, 2023

As far as Ariana Madix was concerned, she and Tom Sandoval from Vanderpump Rules were in a monogamous relationship that was not open. The Vanderpump Rules Season 10 trailer teased that the now-former couple was in an open relationship – something Madix said was untrue on Twitter. And in a 2020 interview, Madix, who is also bisexual, emphasized that being bisexual does not translate to a polyamorous relationship.

Madix and Sandoval recently broke up when she learned he was having a several-month-long affair with Raquel Leviss. Some fans cited that the couple was in an open relationship – something she pushed back against for years after sharing that she was bisexual.

Why did Ariana Madix share that she was bisexual on ‘Vanderpump Rules’?

Madix, who spoke about being bisexual on Vanderpump Rules, said this wasn’t news to her friends or family. “But it was something that publicly, I never made a distinction or put a label on myself publicly, and I felt like it was something that I wanted to do to own my own story and to own my own narrative,” she said in a 2020 interview on The Take On podcast.

“As opposed to people just saying whatever the hell they want and nothing to go back to say this is what she said on her own and this is how she identifies,” she continued. “Part of the reason why I wanted to do that is that there are so many people just talking and just saying nonsense. Then even after that, yes, I did experience some people who were either not taking it seriously and saying that it’s bulls*** because I’m with man. Then there are people who said she’s actually gay.”

“And she needs to leave Tom because she needs to be with a woman,” Madix added. “And I’m like … I have [laughs].”

Ariana Madix says being bisexual doesn’t mean being polyamorous

But Madix said she experiences this weird “push and pull” from people because she is bisexual. “There’s a slight level of homophobia,” she said. “Sometimes, very rarely, but sometimes there can be some gatekeeping.”

“But I think that’s like on the lesser end of the spectrum. I have not experienced that by far anywhere near how often I’ve experienced the other side of it, the homophobia or the biphobia,” she said. “Or saying, why would you come out as bi if you’re in a relationship? I’m like, I didn’t say I was polyamorous [laughs]. I’m not trying to have a haram here.”

She added, “I’m in a monogamous relationship. But someone said ‘Why would you come out as bi if you’re with Tom?’ And I’m like, ‘Why would you come out as straight? Aren’t you married to a woman?'”

The ‘Vanderpump Rules’ star said lack of information creates the confusion

Reflecting on the confusion she experienced, Madix said some still don’t understand. Which was reflected in the Vanderpump Rules Season 10 trailer.

“Sometimes people just don’t get it,” she said. “And I try not to get frustrated with those people because I think that they’re not usually being malicious. I think that there’s just a lot of either misinformation or just a lack of information sometimes.”

Madix added, “It makes me sad. I mean, we’re in 2020. Can we get rid of that now?”

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