They say the devil works hard, but this week, Tom Sandoval's publicist has been working even harder following a controversial statement the Vanderpump Rules star made about his recent cheating scandal.
As we saw on the much-loved US series, the actor and model had been playing away behind the back of his long-term girlfriend and co-star Ariana Madix, and had embarked on an affair with their mutual friend Rachel Leviss.
In true reality TV style, the jaw-dropping controversy was quickly dubbed 'Scandoval', with fans shocked at Sandoval's audacity.
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When partner Madix called their relationship off after the news broke, 'other woman' Leviss was said to have checked herself into a mental health facility.
Since then, Sandoval has remained rather tight-lipped over his infidelity - until this week, when he opened up to the New York Times about the affair.
But it isn't just the secret romance that has kept tongues wagging this week - it's also the backlash the star is now facing after making some rather controversial statements about the affair.
That's because, in conversation with press, Sandoval went as far as to compare the news of his infidelity it to 'pop-culture moments' like O. J. Simpson's trial and the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
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Asked why 'Scandoval' became so widely discussed amongst telly-lovers, he told the publication: "I’m not a pop-culture historian really, but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it's a little bit the same?"
For those unfamiliar with these global news stories, sportsman O.J Simpson was tried and acquitted for the 1994 murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman, and George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin who kneeled on his neck for nine and a half minutes - an event that triggered the Black Lives Matter movement.
Since then, Sandoval has naturally been met with a tidal wave of backlash from online readers.
"OJ Simpson. George Floyd. Tom Sandoval…? Stop giving that narcissist a platform," one penned on social media this week.
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Another wrote: "Tom Sandoval comparing himself to OJ Simpson and George Floyd is so on brand, it’s hard to even make a joke about. Also it’s just so clear that he is actually dumb."
And a third asked: "Did Tom Sandoval just compare his experience with Scandoval to O.J murdering his wife and George Floyd…."
Following the contentious chat, the interviewing journalist released a statement attempting to add further context.
"I think I knew what he meant. He was trying to express the oddity of becoming the symbolic centre of a nationwide discussion and a major news story," they claimed.
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"What he communicated instead was something more honest, which is just how much the experience had made him lose perspective."
And today (Wednesday 21 February), Tom himself has released an apology, claiming he didn't consider how his claims could be interpreted.
"My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times Magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received," he wrote on Instagram.
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"The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I'm incredibly sorry and embarrassed."
Featured Image Credit: Bravo/Instagram/@rachellevissTopics: TV And Film, US News, News, Celebrity