Vanderpump Rules

Ariana Madix is back in L.A. after a weekend of cutting loose in Mexico ... and she's super tight with a male friend, but we're told it's not what you think.

AM was at LAX Monday with the guy who was her plus 1 for the wedding she attended in Oaxaca, Mexico -- and they seem to be getting along well with each other, hugging quite a bit while waiting for their ride.

However, a source close to Ariana tells TMZ ... the man she traveled out of the country with is just one of her best friends. No rebound here, folks.

TMZ broke the story ... Tom Sandoval was invited to the wedding too, but couldn't go due to a prior commitment -- and his decision was made before his cheating came to light. With Tom out, it seems her BFF stepped in to take his place.

FYI -- Ariana was looking as happy as she could be over the weekend in Mexico ... dancin' up a storm and giving off tons of good energy.

Lala Kent isn't mincing words on the cheating scandal between Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss ... dishing out some choice insults at 'em, and even giving predictions on the reunion.

We got the "Vanderpump Rules" star Monday leaving PrettyLittleThing in L.A., where we asked her thoughts on the latest in the saga -- namely, what she made of Tom Schwartz finally breaking his silence, and what she's expecting when the whole cast sits down for a postmortem on this past season.

Let's just say ... LK did NOT hold back on anything here, including descriptions for both Tom and Raq. For instance, she labels one a "narcissist" and another a "bottom-feeder" -- you can watch for yourself to see whom she considers which.

When it comes to the reunion -- where all this drama will undoubtedly be addressed one way or another -- Lala has some thoughts on how it should be staged. In her mind, a WWE deathmatch environment might not be the worst idea ... that's how contentious things are.

Lala suggests Tom and Raquel may be together, even now, and could well show up as a couple. According to her, much of the 'VR' cast is in the dark on where things stand.

Finally ... LK talks Tom Schwartz -- Sandoval's business partner, who's also taken some heat for allegedly knowing about the affair for a little while now, but staying silent regardless. Lala makes no bones about how she thinks he should've handled it ... on the up and up.

If you can't tell, Lala is clearly team Ariana ... who, BTW, is looking well down in Mexico. She was photographed over the weekend at a friend's wedding ... and was nothing but smiles and dance moves despite everything she's going through.

If things unfold the way Lala believes they might come reunion time ... she'll get her chance to set Tom straight -- and maybe even Raq too.

Time will certainly tell. Stay tuned!

Two L.A. restaurants connected to Tom Sandoval have seen brutal reviews in the wake of his scandal ... it's gotten so bad, Yelp's put the kibosh on the whole thing.

The negative comments target TomTom and Schwartz & Sandy's -- both co-owned by Tom Schwartz and Sandoval -- with all the gnarly reviews coming after Tom's affair with 'VPR' costar Raquel Leviss went public.

One reviewer shared a pic of a Raquel-inspired cockroach they claim they "found" while dining -- dragging Raquel's looks and Tom's band, which the reviewer says sounds like "Freddy Krueger scratching on a chalkboard."

Critics also talk about patronizing a different eatery -- Something About Her -- AKA Ariana Madix's sandwich shop.

And there's this ... "TomTom's a place for pigs and homewreckers."

It didn't get much better over at Schwartz & Sandy's ... with some again calling out the "cheaters" and saying Tom should live in a cave.

Yelp had to pull the plug on reviews for both restaurants ... telling users there's been an influx of reviews because of public attention, so the site hit the pause button while staffers determine if these are real customer experiences.

Ariana Madix doesn't seem to have a care in the world amid the cheating scandal that Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss have thrust her in ... just take a look at these pictures!

The "Vanderpump Rules" star was down in Mexico this weekend for a friend's wedding, and based on what we're seeing here ... she couldn't be happier among the guests and locals ... showing nothing but smiles and dance moves that certainly telegraph she's in good spirits.

AM is also dressed to the nines and looking great as well ... seems she's been able to keep her mind off the drama back home with a little vacay south of the border. Good for her!

Of course, things are still pretty restless here in L.A. ... especially for Tom and his orbit of friends -- including his biz partner, Tom Schwartz, who says their restaurant ventures have suffered a bit amid this whole mess. There's a lot of backlash aimed at the Toms right now.

As we reported ... Tom has apologized for the affair a couple different times now, as has Raquel. Despite this, we've been told Ariana isn't accepting his mea culpa -- and that, for now, there's no chance of reconciliation.

Lisa Vanderpump herself has said their sorrys won't cut it, and suggests a proper sitdown interview might be the best way to clear the air. And yes, camps have been forming within the show's walls, with different cast members doing a lot of finger pointing through it all.

Time will tell how this all shakes out once the dust settles ... but at the moment, it sure looks like Ariana is single and ready to mingle. She seems pretty radiant in these shots.

In the meantime ... Tom, Raquel and everyone else will just have to weather the storm here in Tinseltown, figuratively and literally. The weather's been pretty crap lately.

Tom Schwartz hasn't shown too much concern about the outrage over Tom Sandoval's affair with Raquel Leviss -- which makes this performance of Green Day all the more worrisome.

Witnesses tell TMZ ... Schwartz was with pals at The Oaks Tavern in Sherman Oaks for some karaoke -- showin' the crowd his version of Green Day's hit, "Brain Stew."

We're told he picked up his group's tab Wednesday night. It's unclear how long Schwartz and the gang stayed out, but we're told Sandoval definitely wasn't in attendance.

It appears Schwartz isn't all that fazed by what's going on with his best bud right now ... but he should be if ya ask former "Vanderpump Rules" cast member Kristen Doute.

As we reported, Kristen -- who dated Sandoval years ago -- completely dragged Schwartz calling him a "f****** p****" for keeping quiet about his friend's affair. She claims he's expressed concern in texts, but she thinks public actions speak louder.

BTW, Schwartz and Raquel were briefly an item too, having made out during the show's current season ... so, there's a little more drama.

Schwartz has been mum on the cheating affair -- up until Saturday, that is ... when he sat on the fence about who to show his allegiance for ... ultimately tossing up his hands and chalking it up to a major bummer.

Tom Sandoval's business partner, Tom Schwartz, has been mum on the cheating scandal thus far -- but now, he's breaking his silence ... and, boy, is he trying to walk a fine line.

A pap ran into Schwartz at LAX Saturday, where the dude seemed open and willing to talk about everything ... the first time he's spoken publicly on the issue, which has been dragging on for almost 2 weeks now. Interestingly enough, he seems pretty chipper here.

Check it out ... TS says Sandoval is holding up OK all things considered -- but does note his right hand man -- with whom he's invested in both TomTom's and Schwartz & Sandy's Lounge --  is filled with profound sadness and feels like a POS ... rightly so, he adds.

Schwartz says Sandoval knows he screwed up ... and he (Schwartz) feels for everyone involved, saying it's just a bummer of a situation all the way around. That's putting it mildly!

While Schwartz refrains from throwing Sandoval or Raquel Leviss under the bus ... he does seem to show some outward support for Ariana Madix, the one who was cheated on. He says she has a good support system around her, and hopes she goes on a "living spree."

As for whether Schwartz was aware of any of this stuff going on before it became public ... he plays his cards close to the vest -- and, of course, teases the show too, telling people to tune in. One thing he does make clear ... the whole saga has, indeed, hurt business.

There are reports that TomTom's liquor license was yanked this week amid all the drama -- but it's unclear if that has anything to do with what's going on with TomAriana/Raquel. In any case, all of Tom and Tom's businesses have come under major scrutiny in recent days.

Back to Schwartz though. He says he thinks everything's gonna be alright in the long run, and is taking things day by day. Good attitude ... considering he's getting dragged himself.

Just when you thought you knew all of the secretive Scheananigans of "Vanderpump Rules", these Bravolebs have recently stunned the world! Yes, their bods are smokin' hot, but some of their latest sexcapades are not! Take a much-needed time-out from the recent Scandoval and guess The 'VPR' star in the racy pic!

Just raise your glasses high, and you'll see Lala Kent, Ariana Madix, James Kennedy and more of the 'Vanderpump' gang wearing a whole lot of NOTHIN' leaving not much to your imagination ... except for maybe some goat cheese balls 😜.

These smokin' shots are SUR to get your minds goin' and the Pumptinis flowin'! Put your Bravolebrity knowledge to the test and guess the 'VPR' cast member in the sexy snap!

Ariana Madix isn't in the mood for her ex-bf Tom Sandoval's apologies for his affair with fellow "Vanderpump Rules" castmate Raquel Leviss ... because she's still steaming mad.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Ariana's nowhere close to being able to process Tom's explanations and mea culpas, and she has no interest in speaking about it with him right now.

Instead, we're told Ariana's mood's been more like "screw you" ever since finding out her boyfriend of nine years was cheating on her with Raquel ... who AM used to consider a close friend.

As we reported, it took Tom a week to apologize to Ariana for the affair, fessing up to his mistakes and saying he was too selfish.

So far, it's fallen on deaf ears ... our sources say Ariana's down in Mexico for a friend's wedding, which was planned before the scandal rocked her world. Sounds like divine timing.

BTW, Tom was invited to the wedding too, but had bowed out due to a prior engagement ... again, a decision made before the cheating came to light.

We're told Ariana knows she's going to have to sit down with Tom and hash things out at some point -- they do have a house together -- but that's simply not a priority for her right now.

Lisa Vanderpump has some big decisions to make about Tom Sandoval and her restaurant empire -- in light of his Raquel Leviss affair -- and she says their public apologies aren't enough to make things right.

The "Vanderpump Rules" boss lady shared her thoughts on "Watch What Happens Live" Wednesday night, telling Andy Cohen ... Tom's second public apology to Ariana Madix didn't even seem like something he wanted to do.

She isn't fond of Raquel's mea culpa, either ... and, for LV's money, a situation this messy requires a proper sit-down and discussion -- she says that's the only way things can get back on track.

She also tells Andy about her thoughts on future business ventures, now that the backlash on Tom and Raquel is in full swing -- and you gotta see her take on Scheana Shay allegedly punching Raquel last week.

Lisa's not necessarily advocating violence ... but, she fully understands!

BTW -- we got Lisa as she was heading into 'WWHL' in NYC. She says she's been chatting with Ariana since we broke the news about the cheating scandal ... it doesn't sound like she's doing too well.

Raquel Leviss claims fellow "Vanderpump Rules" star Scheana Shay punched her in the face, -- and is threatening to do it again -- all over Raquel's affair with Tom Sandoval.

A judge granted Raquel a temporary restraining order after she claimed her 'VR' castmate Scheana -- who's also BFFs with Tom's ex, Ariana Madix -- attacked her last Thursday in NYC. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Scheana allegedly shoved Raquel against a brick wall and punched her in her left eye.

Raquel included photos of her bruised eye and cut face in her court filing. She's also afraid this could happen again -- she claims co-workers are telling her Scheana "doesn't regret the physical attack on me and would do it again if she found that further emotional distress was caused to our mutual friend."

That friend, of course, is Ariana ... and the timing of the alleged attack matches up to when we know the cast all found out about Tom and Raquel's affair.

In fact, Scheana and Raquel had just finished shooting an episode of "What What Happens Live" ... where they were getting along just fine. That shifted dramatically hours later.

Scheana even boasted on social media about supporting her friend ... she posted a pic of Ariana and herself with the caption, "Always got your back" ... followed by the punch emoji. Raquel included that IG post in her court filing.

As we first told you ... Raquel beelined it to a L.A. County court Tuesday and filed for the restraining order against Scheana, which the judge granted. She also filed a report Tuesday with LAPD ... both women live in Los Angeles.

Scheana must stay at least 100 yards away from Raquel, her home and her workplace ... which will make the 'VR' reunion show kinda sticky.

For those who don't watch the reality show ... Scheana is besties with Ariana, who saw her 10-year relationship with Tom crumble last week when she discovered her man was having an affair with another woman from the show.

Raquel and Tom have since apologized ... with Raquel saying she regrets hurting Ariana and explaining how she got herself into such a bad spot.

Now, Scheana is fully inserted into this mess. There's a hearing set for March 29, where Scheana and Raquel can have their say in court -- but the 'Vanderpump' reunion is supposed to be shot before that ... so, one of them won't be in the room.

Raquel Leviss is following in Tom Sandoval's footsteps by issuing her own apology over their affair -- and she, too, made sure to specifically mention her ex-friend Ariana Madix.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star says, "I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships. There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana."

In her statement, first issued to ET, RL adds that she's been speaking to a counselor and has realized she exhibits patterns of "codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved." She goes on to say she's sought emotional validation through intimate connections throughout her life -- oftentimes at the expense of others ... and she's taking steps to make "healthier choices" now.

Raquel also says ... "Although I chose to be on a reality show accepting the good and bad that comes with it, beyond my own actions I have been physically assaulted, lost friendships, received death threats and hate emails in addition to having had my privacy violated."

She wraps things up by explaining she's started the path to healing and betterment, and mentions she doesn't expect forgiveness or sympathy at this point.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Tom Sandoval has finally issued an apology to Ariana Madix nearly a week after he blew up their 10-year relationship over an affair he had with castmate Raquel Leviss.

Tom took to Instagram Tuesday night and directly addressed Ariana -- something he didn't do the first time he apologized for his romance with Raquel.

He wrote, "I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I've hurt through this process. Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana. I made mistakes, I was selfish, and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly."

Tom continued, "I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really horrible about that. My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana."

He also went down memory lane, discussing the love he had for Ariana over the years, particularly behind the cameras of "Vanderpump Rules." He continues, "Some of our best times together were never filmed," adding, "The same goes for some of our biggest struggles."

Tom also said he was "beyond sad" for hurting so many people and acting in a way that doesn't reflect who he really is.  He ended with this, "I will continue to reflect and work on myself. I have work to do. I always have, and I always will."

Hours before issuing his second apology, Tom was spotted heading inside an L.A. building that houses many psychotherapy offices, apparently to talk things out with a shrink. His therapy sesh seemingly worked because he corrected his first apology in which he said sorry to everyone except Ariana.

As you know, Ariana found out about Tom's affair after reading his sexually explicit text messages with Raquel. Ariana then confronted Tom and the situation turned ugly, bringing their longtime relationship to a screeching halt.

More "Vanderpump Rules" cast drama, and this time it's Raquel (Rachel) Leviss seeking court-ordered protection from Scheana Shay.

Raquel, whose affair with fellow 'VR' star Tom Sandoval was recently revealed, beelined it to court Tuesday and filed for a restraining order against Scheana ... according to online records.

It's interesting ... the filing comes in the wake of reports Scheana allegedly got violent with Raquel over her and Tom's cheating scandal. We can't yet confirm, though, that rumor -- and that's all it is at this point -- is behind Raquel's request for the restraining order.

For those who don't watch the reality show ... Scheana is best friends with Ariana Madix, who was in a relationship with Tom for 10 years until they split last week ... after Ariana discovered Tom and Raquel had been seeing each other behind her back.

It's unclear right now if a judge granted Raquel's request, or even what she's specifically alleging Scheana did to her.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Tom Sandoval has a lot on his plate while deep in a cheating scandal with his costar, Raquel Leviss ... and it appears he's talkin' it all out with a shrink.

Tom was spotted heading into a building in L.A. Tuesday -- one that's home to many therapy and psychotherapy offices, we're told.

A source with direct knowledge tells us he was with a therapist for about 2 hours, although this isn't a new thing ... he was in therapy long before this scandal.

As you're well aware, Tom was caught cheating on his longtime GF Ariana Madix with Raquel ... our sources told us Tom and Ariana have no plans to get back together, and 'VR' is diving deep into the messy breakup as part of the latest season.

Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix aren't working toward any sort of reconciliation ... we're told the damage done is just too much to overcome.

Sources close to the estranged couple tell us ... both Tom and Ariana understand their futures will not include the other, at least romantically, and they've made it known to their friends there's no hope of getting back together.

Of course, Tom is the one who derailed things, but sources close to him say he felt the relationship was on shaky ground in the months leading up to Ariana's discovery he was cheating on her with their costar, Raquel Leviss.

As for Ariana -- she was blindsided by the whole thing -- and we're told it's too great a hurdle to jump.

Tom issued an apology over the weekend, and weirdly left Ariana out of it -- telling his family, friends and business partners how sorry he was for the way he handled things.

Our sources say Ariana's been spending most of her time at the estranged couple's $2 million L.A. home. Tom's been in and out of the house ... notably when the two shot a scene for "Vanderpump Rules" this past Friday ... but we're told he hasn't been spending nights there.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Tom Sandoval certainly isn't shying away from spending time with Raquel Leviss despite the fact the two are enshrined in controversy ... making a late-night visit to her home.

Tom was spotted arriving at Raquel's L.A. apartment Saturday night, keeping a low profile in all black as he entered.

A source close to production tells TMZ Tom and Raquel were filming scenes together for the Bravo series earlier in the day, so they'd been together -- but the visit at Raquel's wasn't for cameras.

Of course, the visit comes just one day after his split from Ariana, who called it off after learning he cheated on her with Raquel. Our sources said Ariana discovered inappropriate texts on Tom's phone, as well as at least one video.

We're told Tom and Ariana filmed the day news broke about the cheating scandal in an emotionally-charged scene at their home.

You'll recall, Tom posted an apology over the weekend but didn't mention Ariana directly -- just saying sorry to coworkers, friends, and family.