How Lala Kent Went After Ariana Madix in the Aftermath of the Cheating Scandal
Although initially when Tom Sandoval cheated on Ariana Madix, Lala Kent sided with the latter, eventually, Kent's apparent loyalty began to waver once she moved past her hate for Sandoval and began to question Madix's actions after the scandal. During the episode of the Two Ts in a Pod podcast, Kent stood by her judgment of the high-profile scandal. For instance, she said in the podcast, "I feel like what I was saying was just so clear as day. But no one else saw it that way." So, here's looking back at other times when Kent decided to call about Madix.
1. Madix Was Not 'Working Hard,' According to Kent
During season 11, Kent accused her co-star Madix of not bringing enough to contribute to Vanderpump Rules over the years. In fact, after the show's most recent plot focused entirely on her due to the cheating scandal, Kent expected Madix to give it her all for the reality show, but, in Kent's opinion, her co-star failed to put in the work. She accused Madix of staying away from the drama when she said, "I'm like, 'You've been gray rocking from the jump, babe.' There's no change here. Except this year, we actually need you to do something," as per US Weekly. Kent added, "...for many, many seasons before this happened, it was like it was OK for her to kind of be in the background. It was fine. It worked well. [Now] you’re the main story, babe. I’m going to need a little bit of something."
2. Kent Felt Madix Moved On Quickly
Undoubtedly, Scandoval shook everyone, including Madix. However, only days after splitting with Sandoval, Madix hooked up casually with Daniel Wais, whom she met at a mutual friend's wedding. Kent weighed in on the sudden relationship in Two T's in a Pod Podcast, "I just don't understand when [Scandoval] happened on March 1st. Then, I believe she had a wedding by March 10th and had already met a new guy. You don't just meet someone and fall into boyfriend [and] girlfriend."
3. When Kent Said Madix Felt She Was 'Bigger Than the Show'
Kent asserted that she tried everything to support her friend after the scandal: "I want to be around women who work hard and have things that are really cool. Not tried — I wanted to be supportive. When Ariana started getting opportunities outside of Vanderpump Rules, that's great for all of us." However, Kent condemned the 'diva-ness' that Madix brought with her after her breakup on the podcast, "And I have a hard time when people think that they are bigger than the show."
4. There Was Apparently No Respect for Vanderpump Rules
Kent expressed, "It's no secret this is a produced show. This is months of filming, and it goes to a producer for months of editing. What you're seeing is very much real. But there's also the part where it is a TV show to make sure that you are entertained." She was upset that Madix didn't give her all, "I have Ariana, who I believe forgot why she was catapulted into opportunity. None of us have anything without Vanderpump Rules."
5. Kent Questioned Madix's Finances
After Scandoval happened, Madix still shared the roof with Sandoval. This raised many eyebrows, including Kent, who argued that Madix had multiple opportunities to leave the home, but she didn't. According to Kent, the Dancing with the Stars alum made enough money to shift somewhere else. "I was asking those questions like, 'Why not just get an apartment for your mental health?' I can't imagine going home to a house that I share with my ex who did something really traumatic to me."
6. Madix and Katie Maloney's Sandwich Business...
Although Katie Maloney claimed Kent's assistant Jess knew about the sandwich shop being open, Kent stated otherwise. Kent clarified, "Let me explain two things. I knew they were having, like, 500 soft openings. So when I said I didn't know they were open, I didn’t know that they were open any given weekday." She further reiterated her claims, saying, "This has been in the works since the season 9 finale. So I didn't know that they were actually open for business."
7. Maloney's and Madix's Friendship
Kent once pointed out, "Trauma bonds run deep. I've had trauma bonds before and they are thick, but neither of you better get over the trauma. Because once you start healing, [the] bond is over." Kent's claims came after the season 11 reunion when she said Maloney vented out about Madix to her off-screen. Maloney denied any frustrations about Madix after cameras began filming for season 11, but Kent asserted that she wasn't discussing the issues on the show on purpose.
8. Kent's Experience with Madix While Filming
Kent openly discussed her equation with Madix while everyone was filming. "It's extremely difficult to film a reality TV show with someone [who doesn't want to discuss certain topics]. Cameras shut down [during] season 10 for producers to talk to Ariana like, 'You gotta give something. You gotta care a little bit,'" Kent stated. Eventually, Madix responded, "If you want to talk in show terms, me walking away from that conversation was a lot more interesting. Was that not a better ending to your season?"
