Tom Sandoval felt the wrath from Vanderpump Rules fans in the wake of Scandoval. However, the treatment he’s gotten from Bravo is decidedly different. Tom has reportedly received numerous benefits from the network, and it seems clear that Bravo isn’t interested in punishing him.
It’s not too surprising, given that Scandoval did a lot to reignite interest in Vanderpump Rules. After nine seasons, the show’s 10th season was struggling to retain viewership. Vanderpump Rules was on the verge of cancellation, until Tom’s affair with Rachel Leviss came to light. As a result, Scandoval became one of the most talked-about TV events of the year.
While Rachel became a pariah amongst her former castmates, Tom has had an easier time being accepted by the group again, and has been seen filming Season 11. But according to Rachel, Bravo has been extra accommodating with Tom. In her recent interview with Bethenny Frankel, Rachel made some major claims about Tom’s current relationship with the network.
Of course, what she says should be taken with a grain of salt. However, if Rachel’s claims are accurate, then Tom is being rewarded by Bravo for his reprehensible behavior.
Production Gave In to Sandoval’s Editing Demands
When Tom secretly filmed an intimate FaceTime conversation with Rachel, you would think the network would frown on that sort of shady and problematic behavior. But Bravo’s response was far different.
According to Rachel, she brought up the FaceTime recording while she and Tom were filming during Season 10. Tom was understandably worried for the truth to come out and Rachel claims he “boycotted filming” until Bravo agreed to edit discussion of the FaceTime recording out of the final cut.
It’s shocking that Bravo would give in to that kind of demand from a reality TV star, and it shows just how excited the network was about Scandoval. Bravo knew that Scandoval would make for incredible television, and if conceding to Tom’s editing demands was what it took to finish filming, the network was allegedly more than willing to comply.
Sandoval Scored a Producer Credit
Another claim that Rachel made during the interview is that Tom was offered a producer credit while negotiating his return in Season 11. Tom jumping from bartender to Lisa Vanderpump’s business partner was a big step up, but gaining a producer credit on Vanderpump Rules would be next level. It’s not something that most of the show’s stars have been offered, and a producer credit would give Tom more control over how he is depicted.
However, it should be noted that Bravo has denied offering Sandoval a producer credit or any other creative control. Rachel may be lying about the producer credit, though if she isn’t, it would certainly be in Bravo’s best interest to deny it. After all, it doesn’t look good to have the network reward Tom for cheating on his ex-girlfriend, Ariana Madix.
Sandoval Was Offered ‘Life Changing Money’
There’s another claim about Tom’s Vanderpump Rules salary, but this one isn’t from Rachel, it’s from Stassi Schroeder. On her podcast, the former VPR star claimed that Tom is receiving “life changing money” for his Season 11 return. Though Stassi didn’t go into specifics, the phrase “life changing money” does paint a picture.
It’s true that Ariana has benefitted as a result of Scandoval. However, those benefits have come from things like sponsorships and other opportunities, rather than Bravo. Tom getting a hefty salary boost from Bravo seems like the network’s way of saying thank you for the ratings bump. It doesn’t seem fair that Tom should receive benefits from the network that haven’t been offered to Ariana, in light of the way he treated her.
Scandoval was such a compelling storyline that sometimes it’s easy to forget how much Tom hurt both Ariana and Rachel. His behavior should be held up as an example of what not to do, rather than something one can be rewarded for. It’s unclear if the claims Rachel and Stassi have made about Tom and Bravo are true. However, if they are, then Scandoval has turned into a massive benefit for Tom
TELL US – IS TOM SANDOVAL UNFAIRLY BENEFITTING FROM SCANDOVAL? WHAT SHOULD BRAVO HAVE DONE INSTEAD?
