Scheana Shay expressed her emotional struggles on a new episode of “Vanderpump Rules,” feeling unsupported by Ariana Madix after receiving social media backlash for a photo with Tom Sandoval amidst his cheating scandal. Despite trying to communicate her feelings to Ariana, Scheana felt dismissed and overlooked, highlighting a rift in their friendship that was once documented as close and supportive on the reality show.
Scheana Shay expressed feeling unsupported by Ariana Madix, particularly after facing online backlash for a photo with Tom Sandoval post his cheating scandal, highlighting a strain in their friendship amidst personal and public challenges on “Vanderpump Rules.”
Scheana Shay spilled the beans, folks. She’s feeling a tad unsupported by Ariana Madix. And boy, did she let it all out during a fresh episode of *Vanderpump Rules* last Tuesday.
Imagine this: A fan snaps a pic of Scheana next to Tom Sandoval. Harmless, right? Wrong. This was post his cheating scandal with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. And just like that, Scheana’s getting all this hate online. Why? ‘Cause it looked like she was chummy with Sandoval after his betrayal of Ariana.
Lala Kent, being the friend she is, prodded a bit. “Did Ariana stand up for you?” Scheana’s response? “No. Of course not.” Ouch.
Scheana tried, really tried, to talk to Ariana. But every time, it’s like her feelings hit a brick wall. “She either dismisses how I feel or tells me I shouldn’t feel this way because [Sandoval] is a bad person,” Scheana explained. It’s like, “I know but I am telling you that I am struggling.”
Meanwhile, there’s a bit of a sidebar on their friendship history. Scheana Shay and Ariana Madix? They’ve been tight. From guest appearances to main cast vibes since 2015, their bond was something else. A stark contrast to the drama with other SUR staff.
Back to the drama, Lala’s there, reminding Scheana her feelings are “absolutely valid.” And Ariana? She’s thriving, booking gigs left and right. “She is having her moment and she deserves that,” Lala adds.
March 2023 hit, and boom, the news of Sandoval and Ariana’s split due to his infidelity broke. Ariana, though, she’s been riding a wave of public support. *Dancing With the Stars*, Roxie Hart on Broadway’s *Chicago*, and a new cocktail book titled *Single AF Cocktails*? She’s booked and busy.
Scheana, bless her, insists she’s “so happy” for Ariana’s success. “Even her getting *Dancing With the Stars*, she knew how bad I wanted that. And I told her, ‘I am so genuinely happy for you. I will be there every f—king Monday that you want me there,'” she continued. But deep down? Scheana’s hurting.
“Why can I never have one moment where it can be about me? I am hurt. I lost a very, very dear friend. I am struggling with that. But I am not allowed to feel anything because it is only about Ariana. I am tired,” Scheana concluded.
Lala, in a confessional, didn’t hold back. She put Ariana on blast for allegedly not supporting Scheana. “It is time for Ariana to pull her head out of her own ass. She needs to come back to reality and remember who her friends are and what they have done [for] her,” Lala said before Ariana eventually released a public statement in Scheana’s defense. “Scheana has been ride or die for Ariana since Day 1 and it is time for Ariana to return the favor.”
Post-Scandoval, the *Vanderpump Rules* cast was split. Initially, Sandoval was the outcast, except for Tom Schwartz. But as they filmed season 11, he began to mend fences with James Kennedy, Brock Davies, and Lala.
Scheana, though? She was on the fence about rekindling her friendship with Sandoval. Her loyalty to Ariana made forgiveness a tough pill to swallow. “I know I need to let go of the hate — it is not good for me. But I am so mad at you still. I don’t know you. I know who you are to me, but what you did to her [was not OK],” Scheana confronted Sandoval.
After a heart-to-heart with Sandoval, Scheana texted Ariana. “This morning has been so hard emotionally for me. We had to do this partner meditation thing and they made me pair w Sandoval and I was so uncomfortable and I just sobbed and I don’t feel OK. I just want to tell you I love you. I will always have your back. No matter what.”
Scheana later called Ariana, pouring her heart out about feeling torn. “We are not what we used to be. We never will be. It was just really heavy,” she admitted, reflecting on the “genuine apology” from Sandoval during the meditation. “You know how close we were and it was just a really heavy loss for me. I have been struggling with that.”
Scheana confessed to Ariana she couldn’t “keep hating” Sandoval for her. “I am mad that he did all this because I miss him. I miss my friend.”
In response, Ariana showed her support for Scheana’s mixed emotions. “As far as healing goes, I want that for you. But you putting yourself in a position to be friends with somebody who would do this to you is not someone I want you to be friends with. For you,” she advised Scheana. “I don’t think he gave a s—t about your friendship.”
Ariana, speaking to Katie Maloney, wasn’t thrilled about Scheana’s potential fresh start with Sandoval. She elaborated in a confessional on how it could affect their friendship, which has been strong since before *Vanderpump Rules* premiered in 2013. “It is being made out to be this big dramatic moment but it is literally me just continuing on the path I am on,” Ariana detailed. “I have made it very clear that it doesn’t work for me to have mutual friends with Tom Sandoval because I don’t want him to have access to me. I am not giving any ultimatums and I am not telling anybody what to do. But I will be putting my time and energy into friendships where I feel safe.”
Catch the drama unfold on Season 11 of *Vanderpump Rules*, airing on Bravo Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. And if you missed it, don’t sweat it. You can stream it on Peacock the next day.
