Ariana Madix breaks silence on Vanderpump Rules cheating scandal as ratings soar

Ariana Madix returned to social media on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) to release a statement in the midst of a cheating scandal involving her now former boyfriend and a fellow cast member on Vanderpump Rules.

Madix offered her first public comments since news broke regarding allegations that her long-time boyfriend, Tom Sandoval, was involved in a relationship with their fellow co-star, Raquel Leviss.

"I want to express my most sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and support I have received from friends, family, and people I've never even met in the last two weeks," Madix wrote in a caption.

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"When I have felt like I couldn't even stand, you all have given me the strength to continue and seen me through my darkest hours. To say I have been devastated and broken is an understatement."

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The drama has rocked viewers of the Bravo reality series and even some costars, including Lisa Vanderpump, who told host Andy Cohen during an appearance on his Bravo talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that she was "gobsmacked" by the news.

Madix wrote in her note that she knows she is "not in this alone," adding that "so many of my closest friends are also grieving this loss right now and reeling from this betrayal on so many levels."

"I am so f---ing lucky to have the best support system in the world and i hope I can repay every single person for the love you have shown me," she ended her note. "What doesn't kill me better run."

Both Sandoval and Leviss have publicly apologised to Madix. CNN has reached out to their representatives for additional comment.

The ratings have reportedly spiked in the wake of "Scandoval" as it has been dubbed.

According to Variety and other reports the first episode to air since it all happened was on March 8 and attracted 2.2 million viewers across all platforms with the live viewing ratings doubling from the episode the week before.

Now in its tenth season, the show is a spin off of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills which made restauranteur Vanderpump famous as a cast member.