‘He slept with his girlfriend’s best friend’ – AGT judges react to Tom Sandoval’s shocking past as he makes emotional return to the spotlight with band audition months after being dubbed ‘Most Hated Man in America’ - suong

Tom Sandoval is finally getting his moment of redemption on America's Got Talent.

During the June 24 episode of AGT, the Vanderpump Rules alum, 42, auditioned for the show with his band, Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras. Fans got a glimpse of the moment last week, but can now finally learn Sandoval's fate on AGT.

Ahead of the audition, Sandoval admitted to cameras, "A couple of years ago, I made some really bad choices. I was involved in a very bad cheating scandal, and I let down a lot of people."

"It pretty much destroyed my life," he continued of the 2023 scandal, which was dubbed "Scandoval," and saw him get caught cheating on his girlfriend of nine years, Ariana Madix, with their friend and fellow Vanderpump Rules costar Rachel "Raquel" Leviss.

"It was absurd how much coverage [it got] and how big it became. Ever since then, it's like everything I do is completely criticized. I feel a lot of pressure," he said.

Sandoval hoped his time on AGT would give people a new perspective on him and help them "see who I am as a musician, versus someone just on a reality show."

Once he took the stage, Sandoval introduced himself beside his bandmates and acknowledged that the judges and audience likely recognized him from Bravo's Vanderpump Rules.

Judge Simon Cowell pointed out that he's friends with Lisa Vanderpump before asking Sandoval why he was making the jump from television to music.

"With being on a reality TV show, that's very much about your personal life," Sandoval explained. "And a couple of years ago, I was involved in a scandal and I was labeled as the 'Most Hated Man in America' by The New York Times. It was really, really rough and I was in a very, very dark place. I felt as though I had nothing in my life and this band was the only thing that kept me going."

Sandoval, who had his friend and fellow VPR costar Tom Schwartz as well as girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson supporting him in the crowd, added: "I would love nothing more than for us to tour the world and be the ultimate cover band, the party band."

Before giving him the OK to proceed, Simon joked to Sandoval: "Let's get America to like you!"

His band then prepared for their performance, while the other judges whispered to each other at the panel. "What was the scandal?" Sofía Vergara asked as Howie Mandel explained, "He slept with his girlfriend's best friend."

Mel B then quipped, "No wonder nobody likes him then!"

Sofía doubled down and asked, "Because of that, he became the 'most hated man' [in America]?" Simon then interjected to say: "Do you know how not interested I am in any of that stuff?"

Mel B was on her feet and said he "made me smile" and "gave me happy vibes." She added, "You're not embarrassed to say you are a cover band ... I liked it!"

Sofía commended their "energy" and noted that Sandoval did "look amazing up there," while Howie praised him as a "showman."

However, Simon wasn't as impressed as he candidly admitted the "vocals weren't great," but still praised Sandoval for staying "true to who you are," before giving him a yes. The other judges also gave a yes, meaning that he and the band move on to the next round.

In the moments after the audition, Mel B admitted, "I don't give a f--- about the scandal," and reiterated that she likes "cheesy" performances.

Meanwhile, Sandoval celebrated backstage and told host Terry Crews how special it was that the crowd was "rooting for us" and "that means so much to us."

America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.