Tom Sandoval’s Howie Mandel interview wasn’t approved — but he did it anyway
Tom Sandoval let Bravo know he was going to appear on Howie Mandel’s podcast Tuesday — but they didn’t give him the green light.
A Bravo spokesperson tells Page Six, “Sandoval did give the network a heads-up that he was going on Howie’s podcast.”
A rep for Sandoval adds, “The network and the production company were fully aware of Tom doing the podcast prior, and there was a PR rep for ‘Vanderpump Rules’ present for the podcast.”
We hear that the network did not officially approve the wannabe rockstar’s appearance on the podcast, but he moved forward with it anyway.
However, this does not mean his job is on the chopping block, as was initially reported, a source close to the network tells us.
“There has been no conversation of him being fired for doing an unauthorized interview,” the insider explains. “The rest of the [“Vanderpump Rules”] cast has been doing plenty of non-approved interviews — so that would mean the whole cast would be fired.”
Andy Cohen also said on his radio show Wednesday that he learned of the interview “last week,” and was “annoyed” by the appearance.
On Tuesday’s episode of the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast, the “Vanderpump Rules” star left no stone unturned as he divulged details of his months-long affair with Raquel Leviss.
The Sun US reported Tuesday that network execs were “scrambling” when they found out about the interview.
The outlet’s sources claim that producers did not see the interview before it aired and watched it “in shock along with the fans.”
During his appearance on Mandel’s podcast, Sandoval dropped a slew of bombshell revelations about the affair, including details of his “magnetic” first kiss with Leviss.
He even claimed that he broke up with Ariana Madix two weeks before Scandoval rocked the world.
“I had already broken up with her two weeks earlier, and I told her, I said, ‘Listen, we don’t have to post anything on social media, like, let’s talk through this,’” he alleged.
For more Page Six reality TV updates…
Sandoval claimed that they kept the split between them, so they could “figure out a way to navigate this that helps us both out and makes it easier” — but asserted that Madix, 37, was in “denial.”
Sandoval also said Madix turned a “blind eye” to his budding romance with Leviss.
“She had heard things and seen things about Raquel but was very much turning a blind eye or just trusting me, I guess,” he told Mandel.
The scandal-scarred Bravolebrity also revealed that he and Leviss are taking a step back from their sexual relationship for the time being.
“We’re not putting any label on it,” he said. “We’re just kind of taking a break.”
