Tom Sandoval is finally breaking his silence — and he’s not holding back.
In a stunning new development, the 42-year-old Vanderpump Rules alum is speaking out against WGN Chicago, accusing the network of deliberately editing his controversial interview earlier this year to portray him in an “emotionally unstable” light. Sandoval now claims he was “set up to fail,” and he’s drawing alarming parallels between his own experience and the viral moment involving RHONJ star Teresa Giudice, who recently stormed off the same show after being blindsided by a question about her tax debt.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail+, Sandoval described his WGN appearance as a “highly orchestrated media trap designed to trigger a reaction” — and one he says he barely saw coming.
“I should’ve known better,” Sandoval admits. “Everything about the setup — the tone, the timing, the body language from the host — it was all crafted to provoke. And I fell for it.”
The musician and reality star says he watched in horror last week as Teresa abruptly ended her own interview with WGN’s Larry Potash, just moments after being pressed about her past due taxes. The déjà vu, he says, was undeniable.
“They did the exact same thing to her that they did to me,” Sandoval reveals. “It’s emotional entrapment. You walk in thinking it’s a standard promo hit, and next thing you know, you’re fighting to maintain composure while the cameras roll.”
Sandoval insists that his segment — which aired in March and became instant tabloid fodder due to his visible discomfort and erratic body language — was “heavily manipulated” in post-production.
“They cut out every calm answer I gave. They slowed down my reaction shots. They edited the pauses to feel like I was unraveling,” he alleges. “It wasn’t journalism. It was theater — and I was the prop.”
What makes the situation even more unsettling, Sandoval says, is the revelation that WGN staff allegedly received a “green light” to provoke high-profile reality TV guests to create viral content. While DailyMail+ has not independently confirmed the claim, one former staffer at the station told us anonymously: “Let’s just say Teresa wasn’t the first and won’t be the last. Reality stars make good headlines. That’s all some producers care about.”
Sandoval has reportedly reached out to Teresa in the days following her explosive walk-off, offering support and solidarity.
“She handled it better than I did,” he says. “I stayed seated and let myself be dismantled. She walked out with her dignity intact. Watching her go through that made me realize — I wasn’t over it. I just buried it.”
Now, Sandoval says he’s ready to speak out — not just for himself, but for every reality star who’s been “baited, cornered, and edited into a caricature.”
“People think we deserve it because we signed up for reality TV. But being a Bravo-lebrity doesn’t mean we forfeit our humanity,” he states. “There’s a difference between asking tough questions and setting someone up to explode on live television. That line was crossed — twice.”
Representatives for WGN did not respond to DailyMail+’s request for comment.
Sandoval says legal action is still “on the table,” and he wouldn’t be surprised if Teresa makes the same move.
“I wouldn’t blame her one bit,” he concludes. “This isn’t about one bad interview. It’s about a pattern. And we’re done staying silent.”
