Vanderpump Rules

Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss may have a ton of new enemies, but they're clearly not letting outside noise hinder their support for one another ... because they went out for dinner together after filming the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion.

The reality TV stars hit up The Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood late Thursday night, capping off a very tense day on set. We're told no one else was there from the cast.

Folks who were there tell us Tom and Raquel arrived at the famous restaurant around 10 PM, grabbing a booth together and ordering a bottle of wine, oysters and some entrées.

It sounds like the reunion show was a big topic of conversation at dinner ... at one point we're told Raquel was overheard saying, "I can't believe she said that."

Tom and Raquel didn't engage in any PDA ... though they were sitting very close to one another in their booth and looking very much like a couple.

As we reported, Tom and Raquel had a serious heart-to-heart convo outside the studio during Thursday's reunion taping ... going through a range of emotions as cameras rolled.

Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss were dragged through the mud at the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion taping Thursday ... and we're told the show got so bad, Andy Cohen had to separate 2 other cast members to prevent an assault and battery.

Sources close to production tell TMZ ... the taping became explosive within 2 minutes, and never let up for the entire 5 hours of shooting. NO ONE sided with Tom and Raquel. Quite the contrary ... they were annihilated by everyone, including Lisa Vanderpump and Andy Cohen.

One source described it this way... "It was like a nuclear bomb went off in the studio."

As for which cast members almost got in the fight ... we know it was not Tom, Raquel or Ariana ... we're told the instigator "is not someone you'd guess."

Andy asked Tom and Raquel how their affair started -- they didn't give a time frame but said they hooked up but didn't immediately dive into a relationship ... there was some period of time before they were all in with each other.

As for Ariana ... it's interesting. She was equally enraged with Tom and Raquel. We're told she did not go over the top, even though she cried at times. One source said the way she was speaking and what she was saying sounded like she's had some serious therapy.

We're told Tom, in particular, was just destroyed ... so much so, they all took a break to calm down, but when they came back it was just as intense.

We covered the Scandoval developments in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Raquel Leviss' attempt to squash her beef with Scheana Shay is just a staged stunt for cameras during the reunion taping -- one that has NO impact on their legal battle ... at least that's how Scheana sees it!

Scheana’s lawyer, Neama Rahmani, tells TMZ ... “Rachel had Andy ‘serve’ Scheana with a document during the reunion, but the papers have no legal meaning."

He says the docs were a request to dismiss a complaint or a civil lawsuit -- but Raquel had already requested a permanent restraining order, "which is something completely different."

Rahmani says there's no way for Raquel to drop the current temporary restraining order ahead of next week's hearing, either ... and notes the docs handed to Scheana weren't filed with any court.

Bottom line for Scheana's camp is Raquel simply hammed it up for the sake of the cameras. Scheana's attorney says if Raquel really wanted to mend fences, she'd publicly confess Scheana never really attacked her in NYC, as she alleged in court to get the TRO.

As we reported, the 2 reality stars were separated during Thursday's taping ... each was in her trailer while the other was on set. Tom Sandoval and Raquel were spotted having a deep convo with each other outside the studio during Thursday's reunion.

It doesn't appear Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss have lost any feelings for each other despite some serious outside pressure ... sharing a deep convo during the show's reunion.

Check out the pics of Tom and Raquel -- both dressed in black like it's a funeral -- as they sit in the parking lot outside their dressing room trailers for Thursday's taping of the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion show.

Things look serious at times, but happy during others ... all while cameras roll.

Obviously, it's unclear what exactly they're talking about, but the show's special is supposed to get explosive -- as it's the first time Tom, Raquel and his ex, Ariana Madix are all coming face-to-face to talk about Tom's cheating with Raquel.

TMZ broke the story ... show producers also had to navigate the logistics of including Scheana Shay in the reunion as Raquel currently has a restraining order against Shay.

Remember, Raquel claims Scheana attacked her after learning of the cheating situation, dubbed "Scandoval," and the order demands Shay stay 100 yards away from Raquel. We're told Raquel and Scheana will be rotated in and out of the reunion set to avoid each other.

We covered all the latest developments in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Ariana Madix is giving the sex toy company she recently cut a deal with something to scream about ... because we're told there's been a MASSIVE turnout in sign-ups for her big giveaway collab since she dropped the news.

A spokesperson for the adult-themed shop, Bellesa Boutique, tells TMZ ... in less than 24 hours since the "Vanderpump Rules" star announced her vibrator giveaway, the site's had tens of thousands of sign-ups!!!

We're told Bellesa's already given away 400 free vibrators as part of the collab, and the team's expecting to cross the 1K mark. The giveaway has most people walkin' away with a gift card that ranges from $30 to $75, with only a small number winning the free toy.

We covered the most recent Scandoval developments in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Twitter's been loving every minute of this perfectly timed collab -- and Bellesa even jumped in on the fun with a hilarious meme about those "wronged by a Tom."

As we reported, Ariana made the giveaway announcement Thursday, saying you "gotta change up your vibe" sometimes -- cleverly referencing her breakup with Tom Sandoval after he cheated on her with Raquel Leviss.

The drama is unfolding on the set of the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion show ... the cast members arrived around 9:45 AM ahead of the highly-anticipated taping.

Tom Sandoval showed up to the San Fernando Valley set looking like he's going to a funeral -- dressed in all black -- which may be fitting, because he's likely to be buried for cheating on Ariana Madix with fellow cast member Raquel Leviss.

Ariana, fresh off her recent brand partnership with a sex toy company, is glowing ... she's rocking a yellow hoodie and matching sweats, and she just got her nails and hair done.

She definitely is sending Tom a signal ... her head-to-toe ensemble by Boys Lie includes graphics that read, "WE'RE SORRY THE NUMBER YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH HAS MOVED ON."

Lala Kent pulled up with a huge designer bag ... and we've also seen arrivals from Katie Maloney, Scheana Shay and Tom Schwartz.

Of course, it wouldn't be a "Vanderpump Rules" reunion taping without the big dogs ... Lisa Vanderpump's in the house, and she was met with a huge embrace from reunion moderator Andy Cohen.

No sign of Raquel yet ... remember, her restraining order against Scheana is complicating the reunion ... but she is in L.A., because we got her yesterday at LAX and a nail salon, and she was pretty chatty.

As we first told you, Raquel and Scheana have to be kept apart when they're both on set. When one of the women is filming with the rest of the cast, the other has to be sequestered in a hair and makeup trailer.

The seating chart is out too, and there are two versions. When Raquel is filming, she's sitting between the Toms and is five seats away from Ariana. When Scheana is on the set and Raquel's in her trailer, Scheana is seated at the end after Tom Schwartz.

The "Vanderpump Rules" crew has seemingly figured out the work-around for Raquel Leviss' restraining order against Scheana Shay for the reunion ... and it involves a BIG separation at all times.

A source close to production tells TMZ ... when Raquel is on set filming with the rest of the cast, Scheana will be sequestered in her hair and makeup trailer watching a live feed of what's happening on the stage. When It's Scheana's turn for the cameras, Raquel will then head to her trailer.

We're told the reunion hasn't started filming yet, but it's expected to go well into Thursday evening. Our sources tell us Andy Cohen already filmed solo one on one interviews Wednesday with Raquel, Tom Sandoval, and Ariana Madix -- which obviously should be super juicy.

Of course, the extra work to get both costars on the same set comes after Raquel got a temporary restraining order against Scheana after allegedly getting attacked by Scheana in NYC, causing a bruised eye and a cut on her face -- around the same time Tom and Raquel's affair went public.

As for the alleged assault, Scheana's attorney Neama Rahmani tells us, "This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Rachel [Raquel], period."

Jax Taylor is offering up his thoughts on Tom Sandoval's affair with Raquel Leviss ... saying he believes Tom's been cheating on Ariana Madix for years -- and Tom's famous business partner knew all about it.

The former "Vanderpump Rules" star spilled the tea with his wife Brittany Cartwright on Wednesday's "Watch What Happens Live" -- telling Andy Cohen he wasn't shocked at all when the Scandoval drama came to light. He also claims he was practically a witness for the infamous Miami incident years ago.

Fans of the show remember the long-standing rumor that Tom cheated on Ariana with a girl in Florida at the very beginning of their relationship ... and Jax says he was in the next room when it went down.

He's certain this has been a frequent thing with Tom, but still won't go into specifics on what he knows.

Jax also talks to Tom's business partner Tom Schwartz on the daily, and claims the guy knew about all of this, too -- swearing on his own child and even quoting what Schwartz told him.

Brittany and Jax go on to connect some dots from the past that seemed harmless at the moment ... stuff like going to the same parties together. Jax even recalls a time when Ariana told Tom her grandma wasn't doing well while he was at a party with Raquel, but he chose to stay instead of leave and comfort his GF.

For what it's worth, this is all coming from Jax -- someone who's known as the OG cheater on the Bravo series, and he seems to recognize that irony, too.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix knows how to keep herself satisfied following a messy split from her boyfriend ... because she signed a deal with a sex toy company.

Ariana made the announcement Thursday with a social media post, telling fans they can get a free vibrator by signing up for her giveaway.

The reality TV star is partnering with Bellesa Boutique ... and she says she's changing up her vibe following her breakup with Tom Sandoval.

As you know ... Ariana and Tom were together for a decade, until she recently found out he had been cheating on her with fellow cast member Raquel Leviss.

We haven't seen Ariana move on with any new romantic partners ... and with her new deal, she doesn't need to rush out to find a man for sex.

Raquel Leviss must not find the airport to be too conducive for conversation -- 'cause while she was mum there about the drama ... she sang like a canary at a nail shop.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star was greeted by a photog Wednesday outside of Blush Nail Bar in Valley Village, CA -- just outside of North Hollywood. She was sitting there all by her lonesome ... and was certainly ready to answer questions, unlike earlier in the morning.

Remember, she was caught on camera at LAX not too long before this ... and was radio silent on the cheating controversy, only giving courtesy nods and waves to paps.

Here, though, she's fully opening up about ... well, everything. It's interesting to hear her perspective -- the first time we're really getting her side of the story, and how things stand.

Check out the convo ... RL addresses everything from taking accountability for her actions -- which she says she's prepared to do at the reunion taping tomorrow -- to an attempted reconciliation between herself and Ariana Madix, which doesn't sound like it went well.

Of course, she's teasing the big reveal ... which will undoubtedly be aired on Bravo in the near future. But even with the obvious promo involved, she's quite transparent here.

Raquel touches on where things are with her and Tom Sandoval -- and one line of hers is revealing ... she says they're not labeling things and not sure if they'll stay together. At the moment she says they're on a "break" ... and they'll see where they go from here.

Another topic that's addressed ... the alleged attack from Scheana Shay, which Raq seems to be implying did in fact happen -- if the scar on her eyebrow is to be believed.

There's more Raquel dives into ... Tom Schwartz and his rumored knowledge about all this included. Give it a watch -- it's fascinating how much she actually spills on camera.

Ariana Madix seems to have moved on from all things Raquel Leviss, and instead is pretending to have wiped her from memory with a pretty major burn.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star was leaving Starbucks with her pal Logan in Studio City Tuesday ... and she was asked how she's feeling about the upcoming reunion. Clearly, Ariana's not thrilled about what's gone down, and her response reflects that pretty bluntly.

She's also asked if Raquel's hit her up yet with a personal apology for everything that's happened ... check out Ariana's ice-cold response.

Obviously things are nowhere near fixed -- you'll recall, the trailer for season 10's mid-season episodes showed just how explosive the "Scandoval" drama really is amongst the group. As we reported, the team at Bravo scrambled to capture the turmoil soon after Ariana dumped Tom.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix has every reason to hide away and feel sorry for herself, but she's doing the exact opposite ... with a big smile and new hairstyle to show off.

Madix was spotted in Los Angeles Thursday, grinning from ear to ear and sporting a lighter hair color as she waved to cameras before meeting up with a friend.

It's not the first time we've seen Ariana since we broke the news of her split with Tom Sandoval after discovering he'd cheated with Raquel Leviss -- she was recently celebrating a friend's wedding down in Mexico ... but she does genuinely look happy in these pics.

Earlier this week, Ariana broke her silence publicly on the "Scandoval," thanking everyone for the "outpouring of love and support i have received from friends, family, and people i’ve never even met in the last two weeks."

She continued, "to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement." Finally, issuing a warning with, "What doesn't kill me better run."

The show's cast is gearing up to film what's sure to be a wild reunion in the coming weeks, TMZ broke the story, Raquel recently opened up talks with show producers to figure out whether or not she'll participate in the reunion.

"Vanderpump Rules" fans hoping to see behind-the-scenes drama from Raquel Leviss' perspective on the cheating scandal might be disappointed -- so far, she's barely speaking on camera ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to production tell TMZ ... show honchos scrambled to get camera crews together once we broke the news of the split and the drama that followed. They'd already wrapped for this season, but the new goal is to edit the so-called "Scandoval" into later episodes.

While we know Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix have been filming, including a scene they shot together in the hours after she found out he was cheating with Raquel ... it hasn't been that way with Raquel.

Our sources say she's only filmed one scene since the drama broke, a scene with Tom at her apartment in North Hollywood. Since then she's been staying with family members in hopes things would die down.

TMZ broke the story ... up until this week, Raquel had ignored show producers about attending the reunion episode set to film later this month. However, that recently changed, and our sources say she's become more open to participating in the reunion and telling her side.

Ariana Madix is finally speaking out since calling things off with Tom Sandoval after discovering he'd been having an affair with Raquel Leviss ... and she's leaving an ominous warning -- for Tom.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star shared her thoughts Wednesday night -- first, thanking everyone for the "outpouring of love and support i have received from friends, family, and people i’ve never even met in the last two weeks."

She goes on to call this time in her life her darkest hours, adding "to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement" ... but she's grateful to have a killer support system as she trudges through it.

She ends with a clear warning -- "What doesn't kill me better run" ... which almost undeniably suggests payback.

It's been a whirlwind in the 'VR' family for a couple weeks -- Tom and Raquel have already apologized for the cheating scandal, and Ariana escaped the noise by going to Mexico.

"Vanderpump Rules" fans are salivating at the thought of Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix and Raquel Leviss all coming face-to-face for the show's reunion ... but TMZ has learned Raquel has major reservations about joining.

Sources close to production tell us Raquel iced out 'VR' honchos most of last week, and was telling people close to her she had no plans of participating in the reunion taping ... in-person or remotely.

However, we're told things started warming this week, and she's started talks with producers about appearing ... and doing so in person, no less.

Of course, there is one small hurdle -- Raquel currently has a restraining order against fellow cast member Scheana Shay, but we're told the network is willing to work that out to ensure everything happens without violating the order.

Obviously, having Raquel at the reunion would be much more than a small victory for Bravo ... it's the whole ball game as her presence is what fans are dying to see. It'll be interesting if they're forced to push Shay out to ensure Raquel's on board.

TMZ broke the story ... Raquel accused Scheana of punching her after finding out she and Tom cheated on Ariana. Raquel's temporary restraining order is good until at least the end of the month when the case will be heard in court.

Scheana's attorney, Neama Rahmani, told us, "This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Rachel (Raquel), period."

As for Ariana, she recently landed back in L.A. with a friend after they attended a wedding down in Mexico. We know she's shot at least one scene with Tom since we broke the news of the split.

While Bravo hasn't yet announced a specific date to shoot the reunion, our sources say it's supposed to happen at some point next week in Los Angeles.

On Wednesday's episode of "Watch What Happens Live," Andy Cohen assured the audience there would be a 'Vanderpump' reunion.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Katie Maloney is CLEARLY taking Ariana Madix's side in all the Scandoval drama ... she's dragging Raquel Leviss for having an affair with Tom Sandoval.

Katie let Raquel have it on Wednesday's episode of Lala Kent's podcast, "Give Them Lala" -- saying she can "confidently say "f*** you" to her costar for what she did to Ariana.

They talk about having treated Raquel with respect -- something Raquel never appreciated -- and now they're reveling in the fact Raquel is getting what she deserved all along.

Katie -- who co-created the sandwich shop, Something About Her, with Ariana -- was once married to Tom's business partner, Tom Schwartz. TMZ broke the story ... the 2 got divorced last year, with her claiming he never really respected her.

Katie says she's now seeing some glaring similarities between her past relationship with Schwartz and Ariana's with Sandoval ... and Lala clearly agrees.