This 'Vanderpump Rules' star had a secret to rival 'Scandoval'

Before the Coldplay concert Kiss Cam, and before brassy Brat summer, a different kind of scandalous, salacious story captured the internet's attention: "Scandoval."

A head-scratching affair between Tom Sandoval and Rachel (formerly Raquel) Leviss during Season 10 of Bravo's "Vanderpump Rules" in 2023 tore the cast apart. One of said Bravo-lebrities, Scheana Shay, was best friends with Sandoval's girlfriend at the time, Ariana Madix. The gang grew recognizable overnight. Hero and villain narratives sprouted like giant beanstalks. Anyone who dared challenge the prevailing narrative faced the wrath of a ravenous cancel culture.

So when Shay showed Sandoval friendship the season after the Tom/Rachel/Ariana mess, viewers raised eyebrows. What kind of friend makes nice with the man who broke her friend's heart?

Shay shares her side of the story in "My Good Side" (out now from Grand Central Publishing), which traces the Californian's childhood to her relationship with actor Eddie Cibrian and, of course, her "Vanderpump Rules" trials and tribulations. But like any reality TV story, all is not what it seems.

"I have always felt a calling to just share my lived experiences with the world, and I think that's why I love doing reality TV," Shay tells USA TODAY on a call from New York. "But with doing reality TV, you only see one side. You only see parts of me, and this book shows all of me, the good side, the other side and everything in between."