Tom Sandoval‘s in hot water yet again—this time, with accusations of participating in animal cruelty. On his trip to Thailand, Sandoval posed for photos with a tiger on his Instagram stories. Considering the many disturbing aspects of this, Sandoval’s photo op swiftly earned outrage. His timing isn’t great, as Vanderpump Rules Season 11 premieres in just a few weeks. Season 11 is expected to serve as his redemption arc, but with these latest accusations, did Sandoval already blow it?
Why Tom Sandoval’s Tiger Instagram Is So Controversial
While likely intended for social media bragging rights, Sandoval’s tiger photo just made him look even worse. Fan accounts called out Sandoval for participating in the photoshoot, and shared an article about how Thailand is infamous for its alleged horrifying treatment of tigers. That article references these types of photoshoots, including footage of tigers with lighters held under their chin in order to pose for photos.
In this instance, who even knows what was done to the tiger to make it docile enough to stand on Sandoval’s shoulders and look right at the camera. The tiger also appears to be declawed, a practice that has been deemed cruel for household pet cats, let alone big cats. Also on his stories, Sandoval posted a video of the trainer smacking the tiger on its head. Another video showed the tiger in his cage, leaping as presumably Sandoval dangled a piece of food on a fork.
Even if Sandoval didn’t know the specifics, posing with a tiger in captivity is wrong for obvious reasons. It doesn’t take an animal rights expert to see that a wild animal isn’t a prop or an accessory. Considering the popularity of Tiger King, Sandoval should already question the use of big cats for tourism purposes.
Instead, he’s clearly too preoccupied with how he’ll look in the photos. His arched expressions and gleeful posing made people even angrier. Once again, Sandoval only cares about himself.
Ariana Madix Accused Sandoval of Animal Mistreatment Before
In the first teaser for Season 11, Ariana Madix accused Sandoval of trying to kill her dog. It wasn’t clear which dog she meant, or what the context for this remark was. But when reacting to Sandoval’s tiger photoshoot, lots of commenters brought up her dog Charlotte, who passed in Season 10.
Charlotte took a turn for the worse while she was in Sandoval’s care. Before Ariana left for Las Vegas, she asked her then-partner to give Charlotte medication. Of course, Charlotte was also 18 years old and already in poor health.
How Will This Impact Sandoval’s VPR Season 11 Redemption Arc?
There’s been many signs that Season 11 will have a redemption arc for Sandoval. Most fans were already not happy about this. For proof, see how much he got booed at BravoCon.
One expected Season 11 storyline is PuppyGate 2.0. Rachel Leviss left her dog Graham, since renamed Hippie, at a shelter. As a result, Lisa Vanderpump arranged for James Kennedy to get the goldendoodle back. This was during the same trip where the cast first appeared to forgive Sandoval. Presumably, Rachel will be deemed worse than Sandoval for her treatment of her dog. That’s not gonna age well.
However, it appears Sandoval still has some fans and defenders left. On social media posts, some commenters claimed those outraged were hypocrites. Many said the naysayers would do the same if they had the chance. Others said the reaction would be much different if Ariana posed for a tiger photo.
Ultimately, this latest social media blunder shows that Sandoval just can’t help himself. Even when he’s handed a redemption arc, he makes the worst PR moves.
Sandoval’s Co-Stars Could Turn On Him (Again)
It’s not just the wrath of fans that Sandoval has to worry about. There are also multiple animal rights supporters and overall animal lovers in the VPR cast. James Kennedy’s love for his dog shows how much he cares about animals. In response to the tiger photos, James shared his disgust at animals being held in captivity. Then, he brought back his legendary “worm with a mustache” insult from the Season 10 reunion. Mustache or no, James says Sandoval’s the same.
Lala also isn’t happy with Sandoval’s latest photos, which is bad news for their friendship that was already being repaired. Surprisingly Lala has been much easier on Sandoval since the Season 10 reunion. She even defended him after the BravoCon boos. Of course, many already assumed their Season 11 alliance was just because of Lala’s apparent jealousy towards Ariana. Is her jealousy strong enough to still stand by Sandoval after this?
How Will Lisa Vanderpump?
When Sandoval’s tiger Instagram first went viral, a big question was how Lisa Vanderpump would react. Like Lala, Lisa is a staunch animal rights activist. Lisa made her love of animals known since her introduction on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 1. She left that show, and burned many bridges, over the first PuppyGate. Lisa even has her own dog rescue foundation, Vanderpump Dogs. So you’d think that mistreating tigers is something that would rub Lisa the wrong way.
But, will Lisa say anything? LVP has never stopped defending Sandoval this whole time. Will this apparent disregard for animals finally open her eyes? If she continues to defend Sandoval after this, the outcries of hypocrisy and double standards are going to get much, much louder. This could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, and if Lisa does finally turn on Sandoval, he’s pretty much out of luck.
TELL US – HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SANDOVAL’S TIGER INSTAGRAM STORIES? HOW DO YOU THINK THIS WILL AFFECT HIS VPR SEASON 11 REDEMPTION ARC?
