UPDATE 5/24/23, 11 a.m. ET: Ali Rafiq was buried in St. Louis at some point after his dying attributable to spiritual beliefs, so Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix weren’t capable of attend in particular person, Rabia Rafiq advised TMZ on Wednesday, Could 24. Sandoval’s mother and father attended and FaceTimed him from the funeral, Rabia confirmed, whereas Madix despatched flowers to the household.
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Two heavy hearts. Ariana Madix and ex Tom Sandoval paid tribute to their late buddy Ali Rafiq after his sudden dying.
“The love I’ve for you is approach past phrases I’ll carry u without end in my coronary heart,” the TomTom cofounder, 40, captioned an Instagram slideshow on Saturday, Could 20, reflecting on a few of his fondest moments together with his pal. “All the time cherishing the attractive reminiscences, uncontrollable laughter, and epic experiences we had collectively. You had been My greatest buddy, my brother. I’ll catch u on the following dawn… 5min/5hour 5or500.”
Sandoval appeared to disable feedback on his social media add, which confirmed a number of photographs of him and his buddy all through the years.
The Florida native, 37, issued her personal considerate assertion in honor of Rafiq, whom she met via her former boyfriend. “I preserve eager to textual content you. it seems like this will’t even be actual,” she wrote through her Instagram Story alongside a black-and-white selfie of the duo. “We had been simply planning your journey to LA. speaking about our futures and all of the issues we had been trying ahead to. i miss our talks about life. i miss sending one another cat memes. i miss geeking out over meals. or dj movies. i miss you bringing your turntables over. i miss us each eager to go residence however nonetheless staying out and having enjoyable. i miss reduce copy and chromeo songs.”
Madix continued: “I miss you @alispacerafiq and when you received’t be seeing this, i’m hoping in some way this makes it to you. i like you all the time and without end.”
The Bravo persona famous how “grateful” she felt “for the love and friendship” she shared with Rafiq. “You’re so liked and you’re so missed. i’m proud to have the ability to say i do know ali the good. since you ARE and can all the time be the best,” she concluded.
Days earlier than his passing, Rafiq shared the identical black-and-white throwback snap through Instagram. “Began from the underside now we right here @arianamadix #pumprules #2014,” learn the caption.
A funeral service was held for the photographer on Saturday. In keeping with his sister, Rabia, his reason for dying has not but been decided.
“It’s human nature to ask, what occurred, how did he die? The reality is, we don’t understand how he died, we simply discovered him and he was already gone,” she advised her social media followers. “We received’t have any solutions from his assessments for weeks, so we don’t know.”
The heartbreaking loss comes shortly after the bombshell season 10 finale of Vanderpump Guidelines, which aired on Wednesday, Could 17. The episode confirmed the aftermath of Sandoval’s affair with Raquel Leviss and his subsequent cut up from Madix after 9 years of relationship.
Us Weekly confirmed the pair’s breakup in March, and cameras had been picked again up quickly after to seize new footage for season 10. Madix and the Schwartz and Sandy’s co-owner confronted off in a heated confrontation in the course of the emotional remaining episode.
“I’ve been with you for 9 years. Again once you lived with [Tom] Schwartz, we grew to become pals. If you had been carrying fight boots and thin denims and didn’t have a f–king dime to your title driving a 1997 Honda Civic. I liked you then — once you had nothing,” she stated. “You bought slightly bit of cash, a bar, slightly band and now this woman goes to behave like she’s enamored with you? As a result of that’s what you need. You need somebody simply to fuel you up.”
The drama is about to proceed in a three-part reunion particular kicking off this week. Whereas particulars about season 11 aren’t set in stone, Madix advised The New York Instances she has little interest in showing together with her ex or Leviss, 28, on digicam.
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“No. I’ve nothing to say to both of them,” she defined in a Thursday, Could 18, profile. “Our present could be very actual and follows an actual group of pals, and neither of them are within the group of pals, so, good luck.”