TV
May 21, 2023 | 4:52 p.m
Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval are both mourning the sudden death of their mutual friend Ali Rafiq.
Amid the ongoing Scandoval drama, the “Vanderpump Rules” stars took to Instagram over the weekend to pay tribute to the St. Louis-based photographer, who passed away earlier this week.
“The love I have for you is indescribable. I will carry you in my heart forever,” wrote Sandoval, who has known Rafiq since childhood.
“I always cherish the fond memories, uncontrollable laughter and epic experiences we had together. You were my best friend, my brother. I’ll catch you at the next sunrise…
5 minutes/5 hours 5 or 500.”
Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval are both mourning the sudden death of their mutual close friend Ali Rafiq. Instagram/arianamadix “Feels like this can’t even be real,” Madix wrote in a heartbreaking caption.Instagram/arianamadix
Madix, who looked deserted when she was spotted leaving LAX on Saturday, also paid tribute to her friend, who she met through her now-ex.
“I want to text you over and over again. It feels like this can’t even be real. We just planned your trip to LA. We’re talking about our future and all the things we’re looking forward to,” she began a lengthy post shared on her Instagram story.
“I miss our conversations about life. I miss sending each other cat memes. I miss having fun while eating. or DJ videos. I miss you if you bring your turntables. I miss that we both want to go home but still stay outside and have fun. I miss cut copy and chromeo songs.”
“The love I have for you is beyond words,” Sandoval wrote in his own post. Instagram/tomsandoval1 The two were childhood friends. Instagram/tomsandoval1
Madix continued, writing that while she knew her late friend “won’t see this,” she hoped it would “somehow” get to him.
“I love you forever and ever. I am grateful for the moments we shared and for the love and friendship you have shown me over the past decade,” she added.
“You are so loved and you are so missed. I’m proud to say that I know everyone great. because you ARE and always will be the greatest.”
The cause of death of the photographer is not yet known. His death comes amid the breakup of his friends Sandoval and Madix. Instagram/tomsandoval1
Just a few days ago, Rafiq shared a throwback to himself and Madix from the early years of Vanderpump Rules. He captioned the black and white selfie, “Starting from the bottom here we are @arianamadix #pumprules #2014.”
According to his sister Rabia, the cause of Rafiq’s death is not yet known.
“It is human nature to ask: What happened, how did he die? The truth is we don’t know how he died, we just found him and he was already gone,” she said in an Instagram Story after Saturday’s memorial service. “We won’t get any answers from his tests for weeks, so we don’t know.”
Madix (far left) split from Sandoval (second left) after she found out he cheated on her with Raquel Leviss (second right). Getty Images
More reality TV updates from Page Six
Unfortunately, the loss of Madix’s close friend isn’t the only change in the reality star’s life.
Madix, 37, caught Sandoval, 40, in March in a month-long fling with Vanderpump Rules colleague and ex-girlfriend Raquel Leviss.
She quickly split from her nine-year-old boyfriend and moved in with Daniel Wai, whom she met at a wedding just days after learning of the affair.
Page Six confirmed that Sandoval and Leviss have since ended their relationship. Instagram/ Raquel Leviss
The Vanderpump Rules cameras weren’t rolling when Madix made the bomb discovery. However, Bravo resumed production and recorded a new finale documenting the aftermath of Scandoval.
The highly-anticipated final episode featured a heated confrontation between the now-exes and Leviss and Sandoval, who professed their love for each other. Page Six has since confirmed that Sandoval and Leviss, 28, have retired following the scandal.
The three-part Vanderpump Rules reunion airs next Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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