Why Meghan McCain's Surprising Opinion on Scandoval Sparks Debate Among ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Fans

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A polarizing hot take. Meghan McCain weighed in on Scandoval and revealed she feels “more compassion” for Raquel Leviss than Ariana Madix.

In a recent op-ed for the Daily Mail, former View cohost Meghan McCain weighed in on the Vanderpump Rules scandal involving Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix. McCain described the events leading up to Madix's discovery of Sandoval's infidelity, including the involvement of Scheana Shay's friend, "an emotionally muted brunette bombshell," who had pumped Madix for information about her and Sandoval's relationship before the affair was revealed. McCain noted that the beauty queen had pretended to be a concerned friend to Madix, all the while sleeping with Sandoval behind her back.

"It was a moment of television perfection," wrote McCain. "The kind of train wreck that reality TV enthusiasts crave."

But then, according to McCain, "something took a dark turn." The vitriol and hatred directed towards Tom and Raquel became all too real. As the scandal continued to play out in the media, McCain found herself feeling more sympathetic towards Raquel than towards Ariana.

According to the Arizona native, while acknowledging that both she and Tom had acted poorly, Raquel took responsibility for her actions and was clearly going through a difficult time. In order to address her mental health concerns, Raquel sought treatment and had been keeping a low profile until the reunion finale. As per her representative's statement in April, Raquel entered a mental health facility for voluntary counseling after the Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion was filmed in March. The statement also explained that Raquel had originally planned to admit herself before the reunion was taped, but decided to fulfill her filming commitments first.

During the three-part Pump Rules reunion that aired on Bravo in May and June, Meghan witnessed what she described as a "bloodbath". Leviss and Sandoval were subjected to a barrage of hate from Madix, Lala Kent and the rest of the cast.

The author of My Dad: John McCain, in an article for the Daily Mail, stated that reality television is intended to provide an escape, not to be a source of sadism. However, the situation had become exactly that. Raquel was visibly distressed, and the emotional toll of the experience may have been immense. The writer queried when it would be deemed enough. Despite the cast members continuing to gain publicity and revenue from the scandal, Madix and Kent have expressed sympathy for Leviss.

After leaving the reunion, the host of "Give Them Lala" podcast felt uncomfortable and tainted, as she revealed to TMZ on June 8th. Kent was specifically referring to the last five minutes of the final reunion episode, in which Leviss broke down in tears on camera and admitted to concealing several lies for Sandoval.

Upon witnessing her breakdown last night, it struck me as a reminder that despite it being a reality TV show for me, it is a very real experience for her as a human. It made me question whether she was the right fit for this platform. It seemed like we were all playing the same game, but her reaction made me realize otherwise," Kent expressed.

The conclusion of the episode also caused Madix to reassess her initial perspective. When asked by a Backgrid photographer if she felt any sympathy for Leviss after witnessing her emotional outburst, the former bartender replied, "Yeah, sure."

Meghan believes that it is imperative for Leviss' story line to come to a satisfying conclusion. In her opinion, Bravo owes Raquel a debt of gratitude for the cultural significance that "Scandoval" has brought to the show and network. Going forward, she believes that the situation demands a considerable amount of sensitivity. Meghan is personally invested in seeing how Raquel's story develops and is eager to watch it unfold.

Leviss is currently receiving treatment at a voluntary inpatient behavioral health and trauma facility, where she has been for 68 days and is still continuing her therapy. The treatment is aimed at helping her understand the underlying reasons behind her decisions, and to learn from her past mistakes with the intention of transforming into a better individual. On the other hand, Madix is busy preparing to launch her sandwich shop, Something About Her, in collaboration with her co-star Katie Maloney. In addition, she is set to feature in the upcoming Lifetime film, Buying Back My Daughter, and has been romantically involved with New York-based fitness guru Daniel Wai, accompanying him to various music festivals.

Sandoval, for his part, has been on tour with his cover band, Sandoval & The Most Extras. He told Howie Mandel in April that he and Leviss are currently “taking a break” amid the drama.