Tom Sandoval is shutting down dating rumors after being spotted leaving a club with singer Tii in the wake of his affair with Raquel Leviss.
Sandoval, 41, addressed the speculation when caught by photographers in Los Angeles. “That is just a friend of mine, dude,” he said in a video obtained by Backgrid, brushing off persistent questions about the “new relationship.”
Sandoval doubled down on his denial, adding, “You see me with somebody one time and all of a sudden we’re in a relationship? She’s just a friend of mine.”
He poked fun at the idea of being romantically linked to whoever he was with in any given moment. “Look, me and [Tom] Schwartz are out right now, maybe we’re in a relationship now,” he quipped. (Schwartz, meanwhile, asserted that his own personal “anthem” is “single, not ready to mingle.”)
Sandoval sparked rumors that he had moved on from Leviss, 28, and ex Ariana Madix after being spotted with Tii at the Fleur Room Lounge in West Hollywood on Saturday, August 5. The pair were photographed leaving the hotspot in Sandoval’s car but didn’t appear to show any PDA.
The pals were reportedly introduced by mutual friend Billie Lee, who previously starred alongside Sandoval and Schwartz on Vanderpump Rules in 2018. Sandoval has been leaning on Lee — on and off camera — since his affair with Leviss left him on the outs with other members of the Bravo cast.
“I just want more positive female energy in my life,” he explained of his friendship with Tii. “It’s been lacking for a while.”
Us Weekly confirmed in March that Sandoval and Madix, 38, called it quits after nearly a decade of dating due to his infidelity. The aftermath of the breakup and cheating scandal were captured in footage used for a new season 10 finale, which aired in May.
“I was ride or die for you and I had [Raquel’s] back as well,” Madix told her now-ex in a heated confrontation. “The fact that she has continued to smile in my face while also smiling on FaceTime with you is one of the most God-awful disgusting things I have ever heard of.”
Madix faced off against Sandoval and Leviss in the season 10 reunion special, stepping out in a red hot revenge dress. Following the emotional reunion, Leviss checked herself into a mental health facility to cope with the backlash of the scandal.
Season 11 has already begun filming, but Leviss’ involvement remains up in the air. A source exclusively told Us in June that producers “have remained committed to supporting Raquel’s treatment” but are hopeful “she’s still able to be included in the show.”
Madix, for her part, has seemingly done her best to avoid interacting with Sandoval in front of the cameras. She previously told The New York Times that she had no interest in filming with either Sandoval or Leviss. “Our show is very real and follows a real group of friends, and neither of them are in the group of friends, so, good luck,” she said in May.
While Sandoval has clarified he’s still single, Madix swiftly moved on with beau Daniel Wai post-scandal. Sandoval told TMZ in May that he’s “really happy” to see Madix finding love again.
