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At a glance, Tom Sandoval and Victoria Lee Robinson's relationship may seem rosy. The "Vanderpump Rules" star has sweetly gushed about his love publicly and the two were friends for a long time before things turned romantic, which can be a sign of a long-lasting romance. "My addiction of the week is definitely my friend Victoria that I've been hanging out with. She's super awesome, she's one of the sweetest people. Obviously I've known her for a super long time, but we went on our first date last night. It was awesome," Sandoval said on the "Billy & The Kid" podcast in February 2024.
But, although they may seem like #CoupleGoals, there are a few red flags in this relationship we can't ignore. Least of all their around 10-year age difference. The older we get, the less significant the years can be (there are plenty of celebrities who prove how well age-gap relationships can work) but people in their early 30s can still be in very different life stages to people in their early 40s. "While there are always exceptions to rules, a good rule to remember is that dating someone more than 10 years older will present challenges now or later that add to the pre-existing challenges any relationship has," psychologist and author Seth Meyers, Ph.D., told Glamour. Equally, a 2017 Australian study found the most satisfied couples were born one to three years apart, while those with an age gap of seven years or more were most likely to become disillusioned. But that's just one of the many things that concerns us about this pair.
They got together within a year of his public cheating scandal
Every reality TV fan will remember the notorious "Vanderpump Rules" March 2023 Scandoval media firestorm. Tom Sandoval's shocking affair with co-star Rachel Leviss was exposed amid his decade-long romance with their fellow castmember Ariana Madix. The potential red flag here? Sandoval and Victoria Lee Robinson went Instagram official in early February 2024, less than a year after the cheating was exposed and only nine months after he officially split with Leviss. While there's no timeline for moving on as everyone heals at their own pace, Sandoval and Leviss' actions caused serious heartache for a lot of people and drastically changed their lives. Sandoval also made it clear he hadn't done much soul-searching when he made his distasteful t-shirt sex confession on the "Vanderpump Rules" Season 10 finale in June 2023, so him taking a little more time to re-group before dating again wouldn't have been the worst idea.
Equally, while everyone deserves a second chance in the right context, Nicole Moore, celebrity relationship expert and host of the "Love Works" podcast, told us while discussing Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's relationship red flags that those who have cheated before may find their past behavior influences future romances. "Typically, people cheat due to unresolved emotional issues within themselves or due to inability to communicate and operate with integrity in a relationship," she said. "They can often carry those issues into the next relationship."
Tom Sandoval still lived with Ariana Madix when he started dating Victoria Lee Robinson
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Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix raised eyebrows when they remained in their home for months after their very messy breakup. Their inability to reach a mutual agreement could be a red flag for Victoria Lee Robinson, who visited Sandoval at the property while Madix was away. The Sandoval and Madix living situation played out on Season 11 of "Vanderpump Rules" in February 2024, when she offered some insight into why neither had moved out. "I'm not here for him trying to assert his dominance. Tom wants to buy me out and stay there and I'm not just going to pack up my clothes and hitchhike down the road because Tom offered me a measly sum of money," Madix said (via E! News).
Speaking on the "Everybody Loves Tom" podcast alongside his girlfriend in October 2024, Sandoval — who got called out for publicly weaponizing Madix's mental health struggles — suggested they may only have agreed to sell the property so he could move in with Lee Robinson. "The house is going on the market, selling the house, getting it ready. And Victoria and I are moving in together," he said. Understandably, Lee Robinson was happy to see her boyfriend distance himself from his ex. "It's not just about moving in with me, it's more, you are separating from... you should separate from the past. It will help you move on and it's just healthy," she said. Lee Robinson then made it clear she wouldn't live there even if Madix moved out. "I'm also never going to move in to that house if you want a future with me," she said.
Billie Lee called their relationship 'toxic'
Tom Sandoval and Victoria Lee Robinson's fall out with Sandoval's former "Vanderpump Rules" co-star Billie Lee is another red flag we can't overlook. Lee was once very close with the controversial TV star, but claimed their friendship ended over his relationship with Lee Robinson. "The fighting is constant. It's the most toxic relationship I've ever seen in my life," she said on the "Billie & the Kid" podcast in June 2024. "That was the situation where I felt I could no longer be friends with both of them." She elaborated, "It was so toxic. I was feeling so much anxiety." Lee even accused Lee Robinson of moving Ariana Madix's belongings in her and Sandoval's home and said Sandoval started drinking again with her (though he's never publicly said he's been addicted to alcohol). Sandoval told E! News in January 2024 that he hadn't had alcohol for over eight months, but had started again. "I decided I've gotten through all the things I wanted to get through," he said.
Lee Robinson didn't take the allegations lying down. In an Instagram Stories post the day after the episode debuted, she accused Lee of lying. "I have never and would never touch belongings that aren't mine nor have I suggested to do so. I have nothing but respect for Ariana and it's not my place to get involved," she said (via Reality Tea).
Victoria Lee Robinson and Tom Sandoval both shared cryptic Instagram content
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Tom Sandoval and Victoria Lee Robinson had fans concerned due to their suspicious Instagram activity on December 15, 2024. Lee Robinson hinted in a cryptic Instagram Story that Sandoval's loyalties may not have been where she thought. "Wow... you guys were right. tiger never changes its stripes... he loves the best friends apparently. i feel like a fool, completely heartbroken," she wrote, according to a screenshot captured by X, formerly known as Twitter, user BravoBabe. Lee Robinson's message appeared to reference her partner's cheating past, though she didn't offer further context. Instead, she set her account to private, and Sandoval hit back by wiping photos of her from his page and unfollowing her. Red flags galore.
Sandoval further worried his followers with an odd Instagram Live video. A screen recording from BravoBabe showed the reality star lighting up a cigarette — despite telling viewers he'd cut down on smoking. "I've had a f***ing hell of a week," he said. "...It's a lot, it's a lot," he added, becoming emotional after fans questioned him over Lee Robinson's story. The reality star said they'd taken a trip to Chicago together, but the livestream stopped before he explained what happened. Fans were taken aback by his clearly distressed appearance, as one person wrote on X, "He does not look too good..." Another commented, "I hope he gets the help he needs."
