Ariana Madix Says She Was 'Not in a Position to Say No' to Brand Offers Post-Scandoval Due to Financial Woes
The 'Vanderpump Rules' star has taken on upwards of 17 brand sponsorships since Scandoval unfolded in the public eye last year
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Ariana MadixAriana Madix is continuing to look out for herself.
In a new interview with The Los Angeles Times, the Vanderpump Rules star, 38, reflected on how her career has taken off outside of the Bravo reality series since Scandoval unfolded last year.
While some fans — as well as some of her castmates — have criticized the amount of opportunities that have come her way, from brand sponsorships to a starring role in Chicago on Broadway, she admitted that she feels as though she’s “not in a position to say no right now.”
Madix explained that her decision to take on upwards of 17 brand partnerships has come down to stability. Madix shared, “My team would be like, ‘This is a really great offer from Bic, look at it.’ And I’d say, ‘It is a fantastic offer, but even if it wasn’t, I’m not in a position to say no right now, because I have to make myself financially stable from now until kingdom come.’”
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Ariana MadixOpportunities started to present themselves to Madix almost immediately after her ex Tom Sandoval’s infidelity with Rachel "Raquel" Leviss became public.
She revealed that, at the time, she was concerned with what the breakup might mean financially, and because she had just invested a great deal in her sandwich shop, Something About Her, with her costar and friend Katie Maloney.
“I was like, ‘I’m not OK,’” the Single AF Cocktails author recalled. “There’s no one here about to bail me out. I don’t have rich parents. I don’t have an inheritance from anybody who’s passed.”
As Madix continues to revel in how much she’s been working as of late, she also expressed choice words for those who may think she’s overexposed. “Those people don’t want women to work,” the reality TV star said.
“I think those people are confused about what it is that I do for a living. Those are acting jobs,” she continued. “I’m doing the same job I have done for many years; I’m just working more. And that’s why I signed up for Vanderpump Rules in the first place — to work more.”
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From left: Ariana Madix; Tom Sandoval; Rachel "Raquel" LevissMadix has received sponsorship deals from brands like Bic, Bloomingdales, Lay’s, T-Mobile, Uber 1 and others since last year, as well as appeared on Dancing with the Stars, and is currently starring in her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago.
As she was in the midst of landing various opportunities, the Something About Her co-owner opened up about her decision to take them on in a June 2023 interview with Glamour.
“I want to make enough money to be able to take care of my mom and my brother and any other family members who may or may not need it,” Madix revealed. “I never want to worry about it ever, ever, ever. So I will work as much as possible to not have to.”
The Vanderpump Rules cast member is currently trying to sell the L.A. home that she and Sandoval, 40, co-own and have continued to live in since their breakup.
In January, she filed a suit against her former boyfriend of nine years, requesting that they sell the property and split the profits.
The Schwartz & Sandy's co-owner then responded to the filing over a month later in February, alleging that Madix failed to state a cause of action in her suit and that she did not act “reasonably and in good faith” when filing it.
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Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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