Scheana Shay and Ariana Madix’s tight friendship has been documented on Vanderpump Rules for years.
After making guest appearances on the first two seasons of the Bravo reality series, Madix became a main cast member in 2015. From the beginning, Shay’s bond with Madix served as a contrast to her tumultuous relationships with fellow SUR employees Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute and Katie Maloney. However, the costars have still had their ups and downs over the years.
During a season 4 episode of VPR that aired in January 2016, Shay and Maloney confronted Madix about tension between her and Doute, who dated Tom Sandoval prior to her. In a confessional, Shay stated she believed Madix was holding grudges against Doute before telling Madix that she had been “extremely negative” and “bitchy” about the group being on good terms with Doute.
The pair eventually buried the hatchet, with Shay stating she and Madix were “better than ever” during a January 2017 appearance on Watch What Happens Live.
Shay continued to support Madix in March 2023 when news broke that Sandoval had cheated on Madix with costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. Amid the scandal, the duo split after nine years of dating.
Although Shay was close with Leviss prior to the controversy, she and much of the VPR cast pledged their allegiance to Madix in the wake of Sandoval’s infidelity.
“We rally,” the “Shake That” musician captioned Instagram footage of her and Madix at a Tove Lo concert hours after Us Weekly confirmed the breakup and affair.
Keep scrolling for a look at Madix and Shay’s friendship over the years:
Madix was a bridesmaid when Shay married Michael Shay in July. The pair split in November 2016 and finalized their divorce in April 2017.
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Season 4 of Pump Rules showed cracks beginning to form in Scheana’s marriage. After a November episode revealed that her then-husband was struggling with addiction issues, Scheana thanked Madix and Maloney for having her back amid the challenging time.
“Tonight is a very emotional #PumpRules episode for me. I ask that you kindly keep your negative opinions to yourself. I just want to thank Katie and Ariana for being there for me and a shoulder to cry on when I needed it,” she captioned an Instagram photo of her and Ariana at the time. “You won’t get to see our full conversations as they were HOURS long but these girls were amazing to me!! I couldn’t have gotten thru these hard times without you.”
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Scheana and Madix’s friendship hit a rough patch after the “What I Like” singer trashed talked Sandoval — who started dating Madix in 2014 — with Madix’s mom.
“That’s not something my mom would prompt,” Madix said in a January 2016 Pump Rules confessional after learning about the exchange.
The Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader actress added that she wasn’t looking forward to her upcoming girl’s trip with Scheana, Maloney and Doute.
“I can’t believe we’re about to go to Hawaii and that I’m about to get on a plane with these assholes who look a lot like people who used to be my best friends,” she said.
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Despite some tension between them in season 4, Scheana and Madix’s friendship bounced back in season 5.
“You’ll see us in the next few weeks [on the show] totally rekindle our friendship. We’re great,” Scheana said during a January appearance on WWHL.
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Scheana shared a throwback photo of her, Sandoval and Madix dressed up for Madix’s kings and queens-themed birthday party.
“The queen of f—king everything,” she captioned the Instagram shot.
Courtesy of Scheana Shay/Instagram
The besties and their costar Brittany Cartwright smiled in a photo of their trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Courtesy of Scheana Shay/Instagram
“Happy birthday to my BFF blonde bombshell! 💣 @ariana252525 I love you so much! You are a rockstar and I’m so proud of you and everything you’re accomplishing! 💗,” Scheana wrote via Instagram in June.
Courtesy of Scheana Shay/Instagram
Scheana shared an Instagram snap of her and Madix posing by a hotel pool donning face masks.
Courtesy of Scheana Shay/Instagram
During a January Instagram Q&A, a fan asked Scheana if she and Madix weren’t “close anymore.”
The reality TV personality replied, “false,” and pointed out that the actress had recently appeared as a guest on her podcast.
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Madix served as Scheana’s bridesmaid for a second time during the singer’s August nuptials to Brock Davies, with whom she welcomed daughter Summer in April 2021.
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Scheana supported the Waking Up With Strangers alum after news broke that Sandoval had cheated on her with Leviss. In light of the infidelity scandal, the duo split after nine years of dating.
“Always got your back! 👊🏼 #TeamAriana,” Scheana captioned an Instagram photo of her and Madix days after the controversy began.
The Femme Fatales actress also shared Instagram Story footage of Madix hanging out with her daughter, Summer, days after the split.
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The pals hit up Emo Nite in Los Angeles with Katie Maloney.
Jasmine Denisse/@jasminedenisse
During a February 2024 episode of the Vanderpump Rules After Show, Madix criticized Scheana for feeling bad for Sandoval following their cheating scandal, despite Scheana’s ups and downs over the years.
“Well, it’s sad to miss somebody who said they don’t give a f—k about you. It’s sad for her. Take me out of it,” Madix stated, noting is was also “sad” to see Scheana “seeking out validation or approval or anything from him.” She continued: “Please feel however you feel. Please work through whatever you need to work through. Do what you want to do, even after he said and did those things to you. All of that [is] fine and good, but don’t be asking for my approval.”
Scheana, for her part, noted her complicated feelings stemmed from the fact that Sandoval was her “first friend in this group” and had been “the only person who consistently had my back” since joining the series.
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