Billie Lee, the first openly trans cast member to appear on Vanderpump Rules, left the series upset, though she admitted to finding “a family” in stars Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval. Billie was a reoccurring guest during Vanderpump Rules seasons 6 and 7, though she felt bullied by many of the cast members. Billie left the show for the sake of her mental health, as the environment around filming was causing her harm. Now, as the current battle ensues over Tom Sandoval’s affair with Raquel Leviss, Billie is holding true to both sides of her “family,” refusing to let either feel alone or unsupported in this difficult season.
After recent photographs of Billie and Tom surfaced, Billie spoke with ET on why she is choosing to keep Tom as a friend. “Tom and Ariana are my family,” Billie begins. “They have been there for me over the years and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. It saddens me that people are so fixated on picking a side,” she adds, referencing the onslaught of vitriol Tom has received since the affair became public. “Both are human and are both hurting in their own ways,” Billie explains, adding, “Ariana is happy and Tom is really working hard on himself. I’ll continue to love and support them unconditionally.”
The popular account, cici.loves.you, shared an image of Billie and Ariana, citing Billie’s recent time spent with Tom. Here, another former Vanderpump Rules star, Kristen Doute, weighed in, writing, “as she cried at Ariana’s house days after Ari found out… smh.” Billie promptly clapped back at Kristen with, “ya I was crying because they BOTH are my family! It was sad and still is! What were you doing while I was crying!? Literary taking selfies with everyone including Ariana. Like who does that!?” Referencing Kristen’s shared selfies with Ariana, Billie adds, “It felt like a funeral, and you were taking selfies. Read the room! Your friendship is fake and performative.”
Though Kristen hasn’t responded back to Billie’s reply, yet, the fans did, as this post was mainly team Kristen, calling out Billie for failing to understand that this neutral stance is like a slap in the face towards her friendship with Ariana, the victim. At this time, Ariana has not addressed the fact that Billie still holds Tom dear. Kristen, however, was asked back to film the remainder of Vanderpump Rules season 10, as she has first-hand knowledge of Tom’s cheating ways, due to the fact that she dated Tom for years prior to his relationship with Ariana. For the record, Kristen is fully team Ariana, showing Tom zero support.
Billie’s stance can be dissected in many ways. Some might see Billie’s actions as disloyal towards Ariana, as friendships tend to be divided when matters with clear right and wrong narratives emerge. Others might see Billie’s side, which is supportive of mental health as a whole, a topic she fully understands. This aspect of Billie’s life story lends reasoning on why Billie is refusing to let Tom Sandoval wade through his self-caused crisis without an ally. No matter what others say, Billie is following her heart. Perhaps, this could lead to a camera re-following her life, as Tom’s circle of friends to film future Vanderpump Rules seasons has vanished.
Sources: ET/Anthony Dominic, cici.loves.you/Instagram
