Andy Cohen Defends Tom Sandoval: ‘He Didn’t Commit a Crime’

Tom Sandoval has received no shortage of online hatred lately due to his cheating scandal with Raquel Leviss, the best friend of his former girlfriend of nine years, Ariana Madix.

Now, the man behind the Bravolebrities, Andy Cohen, is speaking out about what he describes as the “out of control” fan reaction to Tom’s affair.

“Tom Sandoval made a mistake he’ll probably regret for the rest of his life,” Andy said on Tuesday’s episode of the “Not Skinny but Not Fat” podcast. “He is still a person.”

“It’s out of control. I hope it’s kind of dying down, for his sake,” the “Watch What Happens Live” host told Amanda Hirsch.

Gossip about “Scandoval” has extended far beyond the Bravo universe, with the affair being discussed on talk shows and making headlines all over. There was even a joke about it at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner during Roy Wood Jr.’s roast. “Tucker got caught up,” Roy said, referring to Tucker Carlson’s Fox News firing. “Got caught up like that dude from ‘Vanderpump Rules.’”

“He’s a real person. He did something really stupid and hurtful and asinine… [but] he didn’t kill anyone; he didn’t commit a crime,” Andy added.

Asked why he thinks the scandal blew up the way it did, Andy said, “The cast is so incestuous already.”

During the first installment of the Season 10 “Vanderpump Rules” reunion that aired last week, Andy called the cast out for their attacks on Tom.

“This is a group of cheaters. No one in this group has clean hands except for Katie [Maloney] and LVP [Lisa Vanderpump]. How is that not hypocritical?”

Lala, who described Tom as a “dangerous human being,” had a quick answer for Andy: “None of us were f**king our best friend’s man.”

Raquel wasn’t on set with the cast during the first part of the reunion due to the restraining order she obtained against her former friend Scheana Shay. She and Shay will switch out this week, putting Raquel in the hot seat directly in front of Ariana and her castmates.