Ariana Madix is turning misfortune into fortune post-'Scandoval'
The Arianaissance is here.
In her latest coup, "Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix is joining "Dancing With the Stars," she announced Friday morning alongside show judge Derek Hough at her West Hollywood sandwich shop Something About Her, set to open later this year.
The casting is the latest in a series of brand deals, partnerships, endorsements and big-dollar bookings Madix has landed since the scandal heard 'round the world. News broke in March that Tom Sandoval, her boyfriend of nine years and "Vanderpump Rules" co-star, had cheated on her with Raquel Leviss, another show regular and one of Madix’s closest friends.
The scandal featured heavily in the Season 10 finale of "Vanderpump Rules," now a two-time Emmy-nominated reality program, and will set the tone for Season 11, which started filming in June.
Read more: 'Vanderpump Rules' is 'the Thunderdome': Inside the year's biggest reality TV scandal
In the wake of the cheating scandal, which fans dubbed “Scandoval,” Madix won the internet’s affections and quickly began appearing at high-profile events such as the White House correspondents' dinner and NBCUniversal's upfront presentation. She and castmate Scheana Shay even threw the first pitch of the San Diego Padres’ season.
Madix doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon, she told Glamour in a recent cover story. Coming from a family with no generational wealth, she said she will continue to capitalize on her skyrocketing audience and brand engagement in the hopes that her family will never have to worry about money again.
So while there are bound to be more, below are the gigs Madix has landed thus far.
"Love Island"
Madix teased her upcoming guest appearance on the fifth season of "Love Island USA" in a TikTok on Sunday captioned, "Islanders: ready to shake things up? Don't worry, I don't bite #LoveIslandUSA @peacock." Now, it's official. After her ex-boyfriend Sandoval criticized her for bingeing episodes of the reality dating show amid their breakup, Madix is entering the villa.
Glad
Barbie-pink and subtle "Scandoval" shade feature in Madix's most recent brand deal. In an Instagram post Tuesday the actress wrote, "Stronger than ever @GladProducts. Out with the old and in with the new!" Also in the post is a trash can bearing the name of Madix's West Hollywood sandwich shop Something About Her, opening this fall.
Read more: It's true: 'Vanderpump Rules' scores two Emmy nominations — thanks to ‘Scandoval’
"Dancing With the Stars"
Madix, alongside Hough, announced her "Dancing With the Stars" casting Friday on "Good Morning America." Hough subtly referenced "Scandoval" during the announcement: "That's right, say goodbye to the drama and hello to the dance floor." The new season will premiere this September.
Duracell
Madix’s potentially most pointed ad campaign was with Duracell. In a June 9 Instagram promotional post, Madix shades Sandoval several times; she says she’s “done with anything basic” and tosses his quintessential white nail polish, and later quips about how the battery’s 12-year life is “much better than 10” years, which is how long she dated her "Vanderpump" co-star. Sandoval famously said on the show that he bore the burden of buying their basic household items such as batteries and toilet paper.
"I’m stocked up. And it’s funny because someone just sent batteries to my house," she told The Times when jokingly asked in late May if she was stocked up on toilet paper and batteries.
Read more: What it's like to eat at all the 'Vanderpump Rules' restaurants post-#Scandoval
Lay’s Chips
In a June 2 paid partnership on TikTok, Madix announced, “I’m excited to partner with Lay’s to stand my ground,” in another playful reference to the “Scandoval” drama. She also gave a nod to Something About Her by referring to herself as a “sandwich expert” in the commercial.
Raising Cane’s
On brand with her upcoming foray into the restaurant industry (alongside co-star and business partner Katie Maloney), Madix served customers at Raising Cane’s in El Segundo on May 24. Madix’s tell-all interview on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast was released the same day.
SoFi App
Madix promoted the SoFi finance app she says she used in the aftermath of her split from Sandoval in a May 22 post that read, “i’m only surrounding myself with ride-or-dies from now on” — another brazen jab at Sandoval. She also released photos that appeared to show her moving out of the home she still shares with her ex — though the real move hasn't happened yet.
"I am ready to dip out, and in order to do that I had to get my finances in order," Madix told The Times in May. "And I partnered with SoFi in order to get that ball rolling. I really am working with that financial advisor. The post that I made was with boxes that all said 'finances.' There was paparazzi, like a lot of them, outside my house yesterday, even before I posted anything. And they all just ran with their photos and stuff."
Boys Lie
After sporting a “1-800-BOYS-LIE” sweatsuit from the brand Boys Lie before taping the "Vanderpump Rules" Season 10 finale, Madix partnered with the brand to release her own line of merchandise with memorable on-screen quotes from the Bravo show — including a shirt that reads “Call an Uber, Not Your Ex.” Page Six reported that all proceeds from the sales were donated to Madix’s charity of choice, the Alexandria House Women’s Shelter.
Read more: Scandal came to 'Vanderpump Rules.' At the Toms' new L.A. lounge, fans are drinking it up
Uber One
Madix joined Lala Kent and Scheana Shay in an Uber One commercial, which featured new lyrics to Shay’s fan-favorite 2013 single “Good as Gold.” The clip dropped May 16, the day before the "Vanderpump Rules" Season 10 finale aired on Bravo.
Bic razors
In a May 10 sponsored Instagram post for Bic razors, Madix wrote, “finally breaking my silence about what’s been clogging up my life lately…” in promotion of the company’s EasyRinse Razor. Sales for the razor line spiked 35% in the two weeks after her 30-second commercial aired during the season finale of "Vanderpump Rules," Katie Potocki, marketing director for Bic Blade Excellence, told the Hollywood Reporter.
Joyburst
Madix commemorated National Natural Joy Day by advertising Joyburst beverages in a May 2 Instagram post. Pairing a promotional post with a sweet message, Madix issued a challenge to her followers to share #MomentsofJoy and tag @myjoyburst.
Bloomingdale’s
Donning a red-hot “revenge dress” in an April 20 Instagram post, Madix announced a partnership with Bloomingdale’s. She drove home her not-so-subtle message with the hashtag #revengedressing.
Lifetime
Airing this fall, Lifetime's drama "Buying Back my Daughter" will feature Madix in the role. of a police officer helping to investigate a missing persons case. Madix booked and filmed her role in the movie as "Scandoval" unfolded.
Bellesa Boutique
Madix’s partnership with the sex toy shop Bellesa Boutique was announced March 22, the same day as her casting in Lifetime’s upcoming movie "Buying Back My Daughter." Fans quickly clocked the star’s Instagram caption, which read, “Sometimes you just gotta change up your vibe,” as a cheeky poke at Sandoval.
Read more: ‘Vanderpump Rules’ star Lala Kent on life after Randall Emmett
Madix will probably be earning more from these partnerships, which branding expert Bernt Ullmann told TMZ could range from $75,000 per deal to as much as $200,000 for bigger brands, than filming "Vanderpump Rules."
In 2020, THR reported that core cast members each make roughly $25,000 per episode. Despite last season's sky-high ratings, "Vanderpump" executive producer Alex Baskin told Variety that the stars probably won't be getting raises.
"There’s a pay scale that we’ve tended to use for tenure," Baskin said. "I think that the group knows that it isn’t like the ratings necessarily translate into — there aren’t riches on the other side, and there’s a sort of reality of the business."
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
