‘Vanderpump Rules’ Stars Have Never Seen Ariana Madix Like This Before

Ariana Madix has moved on from her breakup with Tom Sandoval, and it has changed everything about her, according to her friends. The “Vanderpump Rules”  stars’ 10-year relationship ended in March 2023 when Madix discovered that Sandoval had been having an affair with her close friend,  Raquel Leviss.

Since that time, Madix has been spotted hanging out with New York-based trainer Daniel Wai at the Coachella music festival and also several times in New York City. And while she has yet to publicly confirm they are dating, Madix’s friends say they’ve never seen her so happy.

Here’s what you need to know:

Lala Kent & Scheana Shay Gushed About Ariana Madix’s New Man

Getty GettyDaniel Wai and Ariana Madix at Coachella.

While speaking with E! News in May 2023, Madix’s friend and co-star Scheana Shay said her pal has a whole new energy when she’s around Wai. “The way that I witnessed him treat her, I’ve honestly—not even in the beginning of her relationship with Tom—ever seen her light up the way she does when he gets around her, when she talks about him,” Shay said. “It’s been really, really amazing to just see her so happy.”

Lala Kent added that when Madix talks about her new man her energy is “completely different” than it was when she was with Sandoval.

This isn’t the first time Kent has gushed about Madix’s post-Sandoval romance with Wai. While speaking on her “Give Them Lala” podcast in April 2023, Kent said her pal is “thriving.”

“She’s like, ‘Heartbreak what? Like, I’m solid. I’m banging a fine-looking man,’” the “Vanderpump Rules” star said on her podcast. “She’s looking at it like, ‘Look at my life. I’m happy.’ She said, ‘Wow, I don’t have anxiety anymore. This is strange.’”

Lala Kent Said Ariana Madix’s Relationship With Tom Sandoval Was ‘Depleting Her Energy’

Getty GettyTom Sandoval and Ariana Madix.

Madix’s relationship with Sandoval was tense at the end. In a”Vanderpump Rules” scene shot before Sandoval’s affair became public knowledge, the two talked about the lack of intimacy in their relationship and how they spent a lot of time apart. In one season 10 episode, Sandoval confronted his then-girlfriend about the fact that they only had sex four times in a year. “I cannot have sex with somebody that feels like a stranger,” Madix replied.

In a March 2023 interview on the “Howie Does Stuff” podcast, Sandoval reiterated that his relationship with Madix “was just lacking” overall and that they put on a front for “optics” and to protect their “brand.”  “The intimacy the connection, we would travel more, like, by ourselves. I would to weddings by myself,” he said of their roommate-like relationship.

Kent had another take on the situation. In the May 2023 interview with E!, she said Sandoval sucked the life out of Madix, and that it even affected her own friendship with the “Fancy AF Cocktails” author.

“This person that she’s with, Sandoval, is sucking her dry, just depleting her of her energy, stifling her fire,” Kent said. “It was really sad for me to watch, and I think a huge reason why she and I—our friendship had declined somewhat was because I really just did not like her boyfriend. So to see her with this new guy, where she just seems light and excited about life, it’s inspiring.”

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