Tom Sandoval Says He’s Prepared to Shoulder Public Hate ‘for the Long Haul’ After His Affair (Exclusive)

Tom Sandoval knows he’s still in the doghouse… and will be for a long time.

The Vanderpump Rules star, 40, isn’t dancing around the question of when he’ll no longer face public backlash after his months-long relationship with co-star Rachel “Raquel” Leviss ended his nine-year relationship with Ariana Madix.

“I would say it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better, and don’t for a second think, ‘Oh, give it a week, give it a couple weeks, whatever,’” Sandoval told PEOPLE while promoting his latest reality project, 2. season of Fox Special forces: the toughest test in the world.

“No, these things stay with you for a while. I’m in this for the long haul. I know that,” he repeated.

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Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss.

Tammie/AFF-USA/Shutterstock; Cindy Ord/Bravo via Getty Images; Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images

As a result of the backlash, the TomTom bar co-owner knew filming the upcoming 11th season of the Emmy-nominated Bravo reality series would be difficult after his secret relationship with Leviss, 28, went public in March.

“This season for Vanderpump Rules it will be very difficult for sure [to watch] and it was really hard to film,” the reality star confirmed last month as production wrapped.

However, Sandoval teased that he was “pleasantly surprised with some of my cast mates on Vanderpump Rules.”

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“I’m really excited about this show because I feel like you’re going to see a different side of everyone,” he continued. “One thing that was really great about doing this show that I didn’t expect was the inspiration and the things that I got from hearing people’s stories and the hardships that they went through in their lives.”

“It really puts things into perspective and sometimes it can help you change your priorities in life and what’s really important,” added the co-owner of Schwartz & Sandy’s.

Both Sandoval and Madix, 37, appeared in front of the cameras this summer to film the upcoming season VPR. However, the co-owner of Something About Her stated some time ago that she refuses to record with her ex.

Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix.

Amanda Edwards/Getty

Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval are all smiles filming ‘VPR’ together 5 months after their bitter split

“I have nothing to say to either of them,” she said The New York Times by Sandoval and Leviss in May. “Our show is very real and follows a real group of friends, and none of them are in a group of friends, so good luck.”

However, Leviss will not be returning for Season 11 Vanderpump Rules. The former SUR server shared with Bethenny Frankel about her Only B podcast last month that she has “a lot” of regrets and “would do everything differently if I had the chance to go back.”

“I really just want to acknowledge that a lot of people believed in me and I feel like I was a disappointment to those people,” she said. “I know there was a lot of trust that was broken between the friendship and the betrayal that happened.”

She added: “I look back on my actions and I am disappointed in myself. That’s not the person I want to be. I wasn’t happy. It really hurt.”

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Vanderpump Rules can be streamed on Peacock.

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Source: HIS Education