Tom Sandoval's ex-assistant Ann Maddox says she 'was in shock and totally confused' about his Scandoval affair with Rachel Leviss when he was dating Ariana Madix

Sandoval’s ex-assistant Ann Maddox recalled learning of the tryst in March 2023She has been seen on this season's edition of the Bravo series Vanderpump RulesMaddox said it was 'a delicate situation' after news of the affair broke 

Tom Sandoval’s tryst with Rachel Leviss while in a relationship with Ariana Madix caught even those in his inner circle by surprise.

‘I was in shock and totally confused,’ Sandoval’s ex-assistant Ann Maddox told Variety in an interview Tuesday spanning a number of topics involving her former employer, 40.

Variety reported that ‘because Maddox signed an NDA with Sandoval,’ the ‘interview was conducted over email, and there were a few questions she didn’t answer,’ including the circumstances behind her no longer working with Sandoval.

Maddox, who is also involved in improv/sketch comedy and podcasting, has been seen on this season’s edition of the Bravo series Vanderpump Rules.

The latest season of the popular Bravo series focuses on the aftermath of the split between Madix, 39, and Sandoval, which would go on to be called Scandoval.

Tom Sandoval’s tryst with Rachel Leviss, 29, while in a relationship with Ariana Madix, 39, left his ex-assistant Ann Maddox ‘shock and totally confused,’ she told Variety

Maddox said that ‘it was a delicate situation’ to communicate as a go-between with Sandoval and Madix.

Maddox said that she ‘started officially working for him December of 2020’ after losing her job at the Greek Theater after the coronavirus pandemic struck.

Maddox recalled how she learned about the cheating controversy while she was visiting Japan, where she was born and grew up.

‘My phone started popping off with a million texts,’ Maddox said. ‘Friends were asking if I had heard the news, and if I was OK.’

Maddox said that she saw online that snow had been falling in Los Angeles at the time, and she initially thought the messages were over the inclement weather conditions.

‘And then, my dear friend Molly, while texting, realized I had no clue what was happening, so sent me a link to an article about the scandal,’ Maddox said. ‘At first, I didn’t believe it and kinda brushed it off as tabloid rumors, but she explained to me that it was all real.’

She said that once she confirmed the story was authentic, it flipped her ‘world upside down’ and that she ‘was crushed’ emotionally.

‘As a personal assistant you spend a lot of hours with your boss and their family,’ she told the outlet. ‘They sort of become like family too! Some of my best memories were working late nights at their house, hanging with the both of them, helping them pack for a trip, or whatnot.’

Maddox has been seen on this season’s edition of the Bravo series Vanderpump Rules

Maddox promoted her new podcasting endeavor with Amanda Lifford, We Signed an NDA , which she called ‘a passion project … exploring the world of assistant life in Hollywood’

Maddox, who is involved in improv/sketch comedy, donned a cheerleading outfit to express support for Madix during her Dancing with the Stars run last year

Maddox said that she ‘deeply appreciated’ the ‘level of trust and safety’ then-couple Sandoval (who has gone on to date model Victoria Lee Robinson, 31) and Madix showed her during her time working for Sandoval, including when they lived in the same Southern California home following thier split.

Maddox noted that the timeframe was an emotional one for her in the first place, as her father had recently died at the time the news of the Scandoval affair went public.

‘When I found out, I was really, really sad and confused,’ Maddox said. ‘Maybe I was subconsciously reliving some old trauma of my own, but I definitely felt like I had just found out something I never would have ever guessed in a million years about a family member.’

Maddox, when asked about her thoughts on Leviss, said that ‘people have multiple dimensions, and when you like someone and you find out something about them that hurts to hear, it can be difficult to put those two sides of someone together.

‘Maybe I’m way too sensitive, but I’m still kind of processing it?’

Maddox promoted her new podcasting endeavor with Amanda Lifford, We Signed an NDA, which she called ‘a passion project … exploring the world of assistant life in Hollywood.’

She added: ‘Assistants become bosses and the cycle continues, but every generation evolves a little and we love diving into all sides of it.’

The logline for the podcast describes it as ‘a comedy podcast hosted by two former assistants that dissects pop culture and modern celebrity, with a focus on reality TV, and platforms the voices Hollywood overlooks … WITHOUT GETTING SUED.’

Maddox and Lifford added, ‘We’re not here to be mean or violate privacy – we’re here to humanize people who seem larger than life and have fun doing it!’