'VPR' Season 11 Midseason Preview Reveals Tom Sandoval's Efforts to Connect With Ariana Madix

The midseason trailer for season 11 of Vanderpump Rules gives a sneak peek into Tom Sandoval's attempts to connect with Ariana Madix and her new boyfriend.

In the two-minute teaser released by Bravo on Tuesday, March 12, 41-year-old Sandoval is shown trying to push boundaries with 38-year-old Ariana. He makes several attempts to engage with her, starting with trying to talk to her during a cast beach day.

He starts to speak, following your rules, Ariana," but Ariana interrupts him, saying, "Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me." Sandoval points out that Ariana is the one talking to him in front of their friends.

At a party, possibly during the season finale, Sandoval tries to catch up with Ariana. She walks away from Sandoval and Scheana Shay, but he goes after her, saying, "Ariana, wait, just one second."

During the event, Sandoval gets upset and starts venting to their group of friends. He tells Scheana, Lala Kent, James Kennedy, and others that Ariana talks negatively about all of them.

Feature VPR Season 11 Midseason Trailer Shows Tom Sandoval Making Attempts to Interact With Ariana Madix

Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Ariana then breaks the fourth wall.

"He wants to spend 30 seconds with the audience," she explains. "He doesn't care if I ended up in a ditch."

Sandoval also attempts to connect with Ariana's boyfriend, Daniel Wai. In the trailer, Sandoval compliments Ariana's choice in men and is later seen approaching Daniel, who is 40 years old, at the same party featured in the finale.

Daniel, however, isn’t having it. When Lala asks in a different scene what he would do if Sandoval approached him, Daniel tells Lala, “I know what he has done.”

VPR Season 11 Midseason Trailer Shows Tom Sandoval Making Attempts to Interact With Ariana Madix Daniel Wai

Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules started with the aftermath of Sandoval and Ariana breaking up after almost ten years together because of his relationship with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. The scandal became public knowledge, and Ariana decided she did not want to film with Sandoval or Rachel, who is 29 years old.

She told The New York Times in May 2023 that she has nothing to say to either of them, two months after her breakup from Sandoval. She mentioned that their show is based on a real group of friends, and since neither of them are part of that group, she wishes them good luck.

Most of the cast members, including Ariana, Sandoval, Katie Maloney, Tom Schwartz, Lala, Scheana, James, Ally Lewber, and Brock Davies, returned to film season 11. However, Rachel did not make a comeback to the show after spending 90 days in a mental health facility.

Before the season premiere, executive producer Alex Baskin revealed that Sandoval and Ariana did not film any scenes together.

Baskin shared with TV Insider in January that he believes the wounds between Tom and Ariana have not fully healed yet. They have not yet reached a resolution regarding what happened.

He continued: “That’s an oddity we cover in all of its fascination. They’re living together but have vastly different faiths and fortunes. In the same house, Ariana has all sorts of gifts that have been sent to her by sponsors and admirers, while Tom has to walk past them every day.”

Elsewhere in the teaser, Scheana continues to argue with Sandoval about what their friendship means to him, questioning whether he only cares because they are filming a season of Vanderpump Rules.

Schwartz and Katie are caught in a love triangle with Scheana's nanny, while James talks to Ally about starting a family, but she doesn't seem ready for it yet.

You can catch Vanderpump Rules on Bravo on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, and stream it on Peacock the following day.

Editor's P/S:

The midseason trailer for Vanderpump Rules season 11 reveals a tense dynamic between Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix. Despite their breakup, Sandoval persists in trying to connect with Ariana and her new boyfriend, Daniel Wai, but his efforts are met with resistance. Ariana has made it clear that she wants no contact with Sandoval, and Daniel is wary of his intentions. The trailer also teases ongoing drama between Scheana Shay and Sandoval, as well as a potential love triangle between Schwartz, Katie Maloney, and Scheana's nanny.

Sandoval's behavior raises questions about his motives. Is he genuinely remorseful for his past actions, or is he simply trying to maintain his presence on the show? Ariana's reluctance to engage with him suggests that she is not yet ready to forgive or forget. The trailer hints at a deeper animosity between the former couple, which will likely be explored in future episodes. It remains to be seen whether Sandoval will be able to repair his relationships with Ariana and Daniel, or if the past will continue to haunt him.