Tom Sandoval is doing whatever it takes to salvage his reputation and businesses…
As you know, the 39-year-old reality star has been under fire since news broke earlier this month that his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix ended their relationship after discovering his seven-month affair with their Vanderpump Rules co-star Raquel Leviss. Everyone has been on Team Ariana – taking things as far as to boycott his and best friend Tom Schwartz’s restaurant, Schwartz & Sandy’s. Sandoval attempted to do some damage control by apologizing to his loved ones and everyone involved in the establishment – making no mention of Ariana at first, who was devastated by the affair:
“Schwartz & Sandy’s might have my name on it, but also there are 3 other partners and 20 employees, who especially rely on the restaurant for income for them and their families. Just like TomTom, I’m a small part of a much bigger thing. Please direct ur anger towards me and not them.”
Related: Raquel & Lala Kent Go At It In THAT VPR Scene Andy Cohen Warned Us About!
He eventually followed up the message with a personal apology to the 37-year-old. However, the damage was already done by then. And the backlash continues to get worse for Sandoval as more details about the sordid affair with Raquel come out. Things are not looking good for the TomTom co-owner, especially when it comes to his business ventures. And in the case of the worst timing, it looks like Sandoval has a new project he’s been working on amid the cheating scandal!
According to The US Sun on Thursday, the Bravo television personality has been “secretly working” on fixing his business empire – by working with the alcohol manufacturer Dumbass Whiskey to bring the liquor to California. The owner Peter Spicer explained to the outlet:
“At the moment we’re in the process of launching in the state of California with a distributor. So we’re supposed to be launching with RNDC (Republic National Distributing Company). It’s kind of an exciting time for that as well. California will be opening, and that’s sort of like our benchmark state because [Tom & Tom] are out in California and with their restaurant, we’ll be able to do a lot more focus [there] than we can in New Jersey.”
The Toms worked with Peter on creating their small-batch whiskey product called, Toms’ Good Lovin’, which is featured at their restaurant and online. Yeah, that name did not age well. The two are acting as promoters for liquors, meaning they are paid a marketing fee that’s not affected by the sale of the products. So there’s a chance Sandoval will be doing whatever he can to make sure this business move goes off without a hitch, so he can rack in some cash just in case his other ventures fail amid the scandal.
While Peter has been in contact with Sandoval since his affair came to light, he noted their conversations have only been “business related.” As for how their business is going? He claimed everything has been running smoothly – other than some “nasty emails” from fans:
“I can’t say, at this point, if [‘Scandoval’] affected it negatively or positively. But the thing that I’m enjoying about it is there seems to be an awareness out there. More people are expressing an interest – whether it’s positive or negative – I think that people are aware of the brand.”
Peter added:
“I’ve always been been told, ‘No PR is bad PR,’ and I’m still on the fence as far as, you know, the question of, ‘Is it a PR stunt that they’re doing for the show?’ I don’t know. I’m not on the inside, so I’m not quite sure.”
Sandoval’s restaurant on the other hand? Well, it doesn’t seem to be doing so hot! The other co-owner of Schwartz & Sandy’s, Greg Morris, also told the outlet that people have written “hate messages” on platforms like Yelp and Google to try and stop people from dining there:
“It is reckless, irresponsible and callous to call for the boycotting or making blatantly false allegations against a business that was not involved in these people’s personal lives. This has taken a toll on a lot of people who have been honest and hardworking to make Schwartz & Sandy’s a place that serves the community.”
He continued:
“Most of us [workers] are still reeling from the pandemic and have only tried to find a way back, we will continue our efforts to provide a place for people that come from a place of positivity and support.”
Oof. His employees should not have to suffer the consequences of Sandoval deciding to fool around with Raquel behind Ariana’s back for months. But sadly, it seems like the fans’ fury over the situation won’t be dying down anytime soon.
Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments below.
[Image via Watch What Happens Live/YouTube, WENN]
