'Vanderpump Rules' star Ariana Madix denies rumors that her ex Tom Sandoval's affair with Raquel Leviss was staged by producers

• Ariana Madix says despite online rumors, her ex Tom Sandoval's affair with Raquel Leviss wasn't staged.
• The "Vanderpump Rules" crew was "devastated" when they found out about the affair dubbed "Scandoval" by fans, Madix said.

During an appearance on "Today with Hoda and Jenna" on Thursday, Ariana Madix said that despite online rumors, "Vanderpump Rules" producers didn't fake the affair between her ex-partner Tom Sandoval and her former friend Rachel "Raquel" Leviss.

Asked directly by hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hagar if the affair that is now known as "Scandoval" was staged, Madix said it wasn't.

She said that after discovering the affair, one of the first conversations she had after informing family and friends was with "Vanderpump Rules" executive producer Jeremiah Smith.

"He was as devastated as I was," she said, adding that after working on the reality TV show together for 10 seasons, the crew has become like "family." She said that it's possible producers might have heard "rumblings" of the infidelity or had some "suspicions," but they didn't give them any "credence."

Elsewhere in the interview, Madix confirmed that she still wants to be part of the cast when the show returns for season 11 "if they'll have me."

But she said she had no interest in speaking with either Leviss or Sandoval and said that if she could, she would "try" to set boundaries for herself and refuse to film with them.

Madix told Kotb that she'd want to come back to film after such a traumatic experience because "the real" in reality TV is the "most important" aspect of it.

She said she wanted to tell her story to "connect" with other people who have been through a similar experiences in their personal lives. "That's actually been super helpful for me over the years," she said, citing when she previously spoke about her anxiety and depression as an example.

The first episode of the three-part "Vanderpump Rules" season 10 reunion will air Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.