“Vanderpump Rules” star Ariana Madix is turning her infamous breakup into one lucrative business after another.
The 38-year-old reality star and her boyfriend of nine years, Tom Sandoval, broke up after it became public that he cheated on her with friend and castmate Rachel “Raquel” Leviss.
During the three-part “Vanderpump Rules” season 10 reunion, which aired in May and June, Madix and fellow castmate Katie Maloney shared that they made about $200,000 after launching merchandise for their upcoming West Hollywood, California sandwich shop, Something About Her.
Madix says they launched the collection because fans kept reaching out to ask how they could support her during this difficult time.
“It’s really incredible that so many supportive people showed up to help us,” Maloney said.
After filming the reunion, Madix and Maloney decided to once again capitalize on interest in the breakup thanks to something that Sandoval said during the taping.
During the reunion, host Andy Cohen asked Sandoval about his relationship with Madix and he made a comment on their sex life, that went viral on social media.
“Yeah, she kept her T-shirt on; it was really hot,” he said.
Madix and Maloney reached out to Los Angeles artist Carla Furey and gave her a week’s notice to come up with the hand-drawn T-shirt design “F— Me In This T-Shirt,” which retails for $34.99. It is currently being sold alongside the rest of the sandwich shop merchandise.
“I thought it was exactly what needed to be done,” Furey told Rolling Stone. “I love the power in that, and to do it for the sandwich shop, which is like something that is coming out of such a deliberate place with so much love and intention, I thought putting those two things together was awesome.”
Furey also shared that since the T-shirt went on sale, it has outsold all of the other merch “by far.”
“It’s done so well that it kind of broke the website and they had to change vendors and websites,” Furey says. “So we’re backlogged.”
Madix and Maloney paid her triple her going rate for her designs, Furey says. And since designing the T-shirt, the artist created another sweater for the sandwich shop.
The trio doesn’t currently have a plan to work on new merch because they are still keeping up with the demand for the existing designs.
Since the breakup, which has been dubbed “Scandoval,” Madix has signed deals with BIC, Bloomingdales, Uber One, Lay’s Chips, and more.
“We have no generational wealth in our family,” Madix told Glamour about why she’s taking the sponsorship opportunities. “I want to make enough money to be able to take care of my mom and my brother and any other family members who may or may not need it. I never want to worry about it ever, ever, ever. So I will work as much as possible to not have to.”
Representatives for Madix, Maloney, and Furery did not immediately respond to CNBC Make It’s request for comment.
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