How Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval stay 'no contact' while living together

Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules picked back up just three months after the "Scandoval" cheating scandal rocked the Bravo TV fandom and threw viewers right back into the midst of the drama. Even though Rachel (Raquel) Leviss is no longer part of the cast, her impact was felt through the entire episode, but fans had one major post-Scandoval question.

How do Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval stay "no contact" if they're living in the same house?

Tom Sandoval calls Ariana Madix "petty" over staying in shared house

While on The Viall Files podcast, Tom Sandoval discussed the offers he's given Ariana Madix to get her out of the house and claims that she's being "petty" by not accepting the money he's offering.

"She’s like, ‘Oh, he gave me a s–t offer. I gave her an offer of $3.1 million. We bought our house for $2.05 [million]. ... I gave her an offer to buy her out," he told the podcast host and went on to claim that the reason Ariana is turning down his offers is because she "doesn't want [him] to have the house."

In December 2023, Ariana Madix told Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that the reason she doesn't want to be bought out of the house is because she would prefer to sell the house and split the profits instead, while Tom wants to buy her out of the house and continue living in it.

How are Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix "no contact" in the same house?

It's obvious that the rift between Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix isn't going to be repaired and it seems they're at a stand still when it comes to the house. So, fans are left wondering how the two of them can live in the same house while not communicating with each other.

According to Ariana, all of her communication with Tom is done through a third party -- his assistant, Ann. "We communicate via his assistant, Ann, which is great for me because I don't have to look at his stupid face but ... bad for Ann because that's literally her job," she explained. Plus, she's been living in New York City during her stint on Broadway, so their contact is minimal.

It seems like the "no contact" policy extends beyond Tom Sandoval. In the season 11 premiere when Ariana went back to TomTom for the first time post-cheating scandal, Tom Schwartz attempted to greet her and was given the cold shoulder. Considering Tom Schwartz went on to call Ariana "ice queen" and "the patron saint of scorned women" in a confessional, it's no surprise that she wasn't feeling friendly.

It seems like the pair might have to work out a new arrangement, though. In Janaury 2024, Tom Sandoval's assistant Ann announced that she had resigned from her position working for Tom (and intercepting packages from Rachel Leviss so Ariana didn't see them) and has launched her own podcast.