Tom Sandoval, who called himself “the most hated man in America,” is looking for redemption through music.
The former Vanderpump Rules star was back on television for another reality competition show—and this time, he and his band Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras auditioned for America’s Got Talent, two years after his infamous cheating scandal.
Highlights
- Tom Sandoval auditioned for America’s Got Talent with his band Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras.
- “He slept with his girlfriend’s best friend,” judge Howie Mandel quietly said before Tom began his performance.
- The judges were seen with skeptical expressions on their faces.
- Tom addressed his cheating scandal during the audition and said “I was labeled as the most hated man in America…”
“Ohhhh I’m feeling all of the second hand embarrassment right now,” a critic commented on his performance.
“The Most Hated Man in America” seemingly wants to redeem himself on America’s Got Talent
Image credits: Trae Patton/NBC/Getty Images
Fans were stunned to see Tom onstage, making his unexpected debut on the NBC reality competition in front of AGT judges Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Howie Mandel, and Mel B.
The episode is expected to air on June 24, but previews of the show captured the Bravo star performing in black pants and a bedazzled green jacket.
“He slept with his girlfriend's best friend,” judge Howie Mandel quietly told fellow judge Sofia Vergara right before Tom began his performance.
“Do you know how not interested I am in any of that stuff?” fellow judge Simon Cowell then said.
Image credits: America's Got Talent
Tom and his bandmates performed a cover of A-ha's 1980s hit Take on Me.
Snippets showed the judges listening to him with skeptical looks on their faces.
However, one clip saw Simon smiling as the reality TV star sang and danced his way across the stage.
The reality TV star performed A-ha’s Take on Me with his band Tom Sandoval & The Most
Image credits: America's Got Talent
A couple of years ago, Tom was at the center of a cheating scandal—dubbed Scandoval—which led to the end of his nine-year romance with ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix in 2023.
He was caught cheating with his Vanderpump Rules costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, and the aftermath of the affair was covered in the Season 10 finale of Vanderpump Rules.
Ariana discovered that Tom was having an affair while attending a Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras concert to support her longtime boyfriend.
The Love Island USA host stumbled upon explicit videos of Raquel in his phone when the device fell out of his pocket during the show.
“He slept with his girlfriend's best friend,” judge Howie Mandel told his fellow judge Sofia Vergara while Tom was onstage
Image credits: Bravo
“I made mistakes, I was selfish, and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly,” he said in a public statement at the time.
He noted that his “biggest regret” was having “dishonored” Ariana and admitted he “owed” her better.
“I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really horrible about that,” he said.
Image credits: America's Got Talent
Tense moments between Ariana and Tom were captured on Vanderpump Rules in the aftermath of the affair coming to light.
“You want anything?” Tom asked her as he opened a kitchen cabinet in one scene.
“For you to die,” Ariana savagely replied.
Tom’s longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix discovered he was cheating when she found explicit videos on his phone
Image credits: America's Got Talent
Ariana had addressed the affair in a March 2023 statement and expressed gratitude to her friends, family, and “people [she’s] never even met” for their support.
“To say I have been devastated and broken is an understatement,” she said. “However, I know that I am not in this alone.”
“What doesn’t kill me better run,” she concluded.
Ariana told her long-time boyfriend “to die” after the cheating scandal made headlines
Image credits: America's Got Talent
Ariana has moved on and is currently dating boyfriend Daniel Wai, while Tom is with model girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson.
Tom addressed the scandal during his AGT audition and said the band was the “only thing” that kept him going.
Image credits: Bravo
“With being on a reality show, it's very much about your personal life and, a couple years ago, I was involved in a scandal and I was labeled as the most hated man in America by The New York Times,” he told the judges while explaining his love for music.
“I mean, it was really, really rough, and I was in a very dark place. I felt as though I had nothing in my life, and this band was the only thing that kept me going,” he added.
“This band was the only thing that kept me going,” Tom said on the AGT episode about how he dealt with the scandal
Image credits: tomsandoval1
Tom was a cast member on Vanderpump Rules from its 2011 premiere until 2024.
He went on to appear on the second season of Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, which premiered in 2023, and on the third season of The Traitors, which premiered in January.
Viewers would have to wait till Tuesday, June 24, to discover what the judges thought of his AGT debut performance and whether he would move on to the next round.
But several netizens still cringed at the preview clips, with one asking, “Is he lip syncing?”
“It’s serving major Wedding Singer energy,” said a critic online
“The judges looks says enough,” one said. Another agreed, “I think Sophia's face said it all.”
“There he is. Mr. Cringiest. There he is. Looking laaaaaaame,” read one comment online.
“He just needs to go and get a job on one of the cruise ships now and be the nightly entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays,” one said.
“Who told him he could sing?” one asked, while another suggested, “Stick to karaoke bro”
