The Major Way Ariana Madix's New Romance With Daniel Wai Differs From Tom Sandoval

The affair between "Vanderpump Rules" stars Tom Sandoval and Rachel Leviss was one of the biggest bombs to go off in Bravo reality TV history. Dubbed "Scandoval," the affair left Tom's ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix in the spotlight. Ariana capitalized off of the attention, appearing on Season 32 of "Dancing With the Stars" and making her Broadway debut in "Chicago the Musical" as well as landing brand deals and sponsorships.

Ariana has also made progress in her personal life. She started dating personal trainer and fitness instructor Daniel Wai in April 2023, a short month after the news of Tom's affair had broken. While their relationship moved faster than either party expected, Ariana is happy that she's found peace after the tumultuous split from Tom, whom she dated for almost 10 years. Daniel has brought happiness back to Ariana, and their relationship seems much more stable than her relationship with Tom. In the February 6, 2024 episode of "Vanderpump Rules," Ariana compared the two men in a confessional (via People). "I feel like with Dan, I've kind of had my eyes opened to the fact that there are different types of partners out there who would actually be a real 50/50 partner, or if I can only give 10% that day, he's ready to give 90%," she said.

The relationship has changed Ariana's outlook in more ways than one. While she's previously said she doesn't want to have kids, being with Daniel has also opened her eyes to the possibility of starting a family and having kids in the future.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix is no stranger to sharing her opinion, and over her time on the Bravo show, she often talked about the fact that she didn't want to have kids in her future. Contrary to her assertions, Ariana froze her eggs in 2021 when she was still in a relationship with Tom Sandoval, as she didn't like the idea of her biological clock dictating her timeline. When her relationship with Tom ended and she started dating Daniel Wai, , though, Madix started to see a different future for herself.

"I mean, he's the first person that I've met that I'm actually like, 'Oh, is that what that would be like?'" Ariana told "Vanderpump Rules" alum Lala Kent in the February 6, 2024 episode of the show (via People). "I just think he's opened my mind and opened my eyes to a lot of different possibilities that I could not see."

The aftermath of Scandoval was a mix of emotions for "Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix, who experienced immense professional success and also intense heartbreak. The affair gave the show a second life at the expense of Ariana's long elationship with Tom Sandoval and friendship with Rachel Leviss. But through all of the media attention, Ariana found a lifeline in her boyfriend, Daniel Wai.

"He just brought so much positivity and support, and he just gets me in a way that makes me think I just don't want this to end," she told Access Hollywood. "So I'm just going to keep it going."

Ariana also loves how encouraging Daniel has been about her career endeavors post-Scandoval, including competing on Season 32 of "Dancing With the Stars." Daniel flew out to set every week to see Ariana perform on the show, something she appreciated beyond measure. "He's incredibly supportive," she told US Weekly. "He sacrifices his sleep and time to help me with anything I need, and then he takes a red-eye back and goes straight to work."