Tom Sandoval Outrages Fans and Vanderpump Rules Costar Lala Kent After Sharing Up-Close Clip with Captive Tiger

Tom Sandoval found himself in hot water again, this time in Thailand.

In Tuesday’s Instagram Story, Vanderpump Rules star, 40, documented his travels around Asia – including a visit to a zoo with tigers. However, fans and some members of his Bravo crew were quick to express their displeasure at his support for animals in captivity.

PEOPLE reached out to Sandoval’s reps, who declined to comment.

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The videos, which were reposted by a fan account on Instagram, show the reality star sitting on the ground outside cross-legged as two zoo employees place the large tiger on his shoulders. While one employee fed the top predator from a bottle, another grabbed it by the paws and placed it on top of Sandoval.

“I would never go to a place like this, …… Let everyone run to freedom !! 🐅 ❤️ always found this cruel and so sad,” his Vanderpump Rules Costar James Kennedy wrote in the comments section.

“Now only Worm 🪱 without mustache 🤦‍♂️……. 😂,” added the British DJ (31) in another comment, seemingly referring to his lineup.

Kennedy wasn’t the only Bravo person to criticize Sandoval’s actions. Lala Kent also took to social media to share her disappointment.

Lala Kent answers Tom Sandoval with a tiger.

Lala Kent/ Instagram

“I am horrified by the photo my cast took with the tiger in captivity. This topic has been close to my heart for years,” she wrote on her Instagram Story on Wednesday. “What masquerades as ‘fun’ and ‘cool’ is actually animal abuse. It’s heartbreaking. I made a fuss about your education, and here I am telling you again… Don’t support places like this.”

Kent, 33, has publicly voiced her concerns about captive wildlife in the past.

In 2017, Kent and her Vanderpump Rules actresses Scheana Shay and Ariana Madix starred in PETA’s “Free the Orcas” commercial. In June, PETA praised Kent for urging SeaWorld to relocate a captive orca named Corky to a seaside sanctuary.

The cast of Vanderpump Rules.

Tommy Garcia/Bravo

Sandoval’s recent reaction was unrelated to animal cruelty.

He was booed at BravoCon 2023 in early November after he and Madix, 38, split after nine years of dating. The breakup came shortly after the TomTom co-owner had a months-long affair with their friend and colleague Rachel “Raquel” Leviss.

While appearing on Fox Special forces: the toughest test in the world in November, he opened the tribute that “Scandoval” took over.

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“I had an affair and it just blew up. People were texting me just, like, vicious, like, so instinctive, like, hate,” Sandoval said.

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Source: HIS Education