by Venus Sanders
Ariana Madix, known for her role on "Vanderpump Rules," made an unforgettable statement during her debut on "Dancing With the Stars." On Tuesday night, she stepped onto the dance floor in an updated, bedazzled version of the iconic red "revenge" dress she had worn during the Season 10 reunion of Bravo's hit show.
Image Credit: Amanda Edwards / Contributor / Getty Images
Madix, 38, teased her glamorous attire shortly before the premiere of Season 32 of the ABC dance competition series with a sneak peek on Instagram. Her post read, "Red-dy for the PREMIERE♥️," accompanied by a video featuring her professional partner, Pasha Pashkov.
Fans of Madix quickly recognized the reference to her famous "revenge dress" moment. One enthusiastic commenter wrote, "The revenge dress as a dance dress!!!!!!!!! You ate that sh-t up," while another exclaimed, "The iconic dress yessss!!" Even her "Pump Rules" co-star Scheana Shay chimed in with multiple fire heart emojis.
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For those who may not recall, Madix had previously worn a similar ensemble during the "Pump Rules" reunion show. This reunion episode had been particularly dramatic as it featured Madix facing her ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval and former friend Raquel Leviss amid revelations of their months-long affair.
Reflecting on her choice of outfit during the reunion, Madix said, "My revenge dress that I wore on the reunion … I had options that I was working with my friend Emily Men, who is an incredible stylist, and then when all of this happened, it was like, 'Nope, scrap all of those. We're going back to the drawing board. We need something absolutely incredible.'" The dress she chose consisted of a strap of cloth across her chest and a cropped jacket. "And she found that dress, and she's great at what she does," Madix added.
The reunion episodes allowed Madix to address her feelings towards Sandoval, 40, and Leviss, 29, regarding their affair. Although the season had already concluded filming, the Bravo cameras picked up again to capture the unfolding drama. Since then, Madix has moved on with her boyfriend, Daniel Wai.
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As for Leviss, she underwent treatment at a mental health facility after the ordeal and recently blocked Tom Sandoval from her Instagram following his birthday message to her. Sandoval, now appearing on Fox's "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test," has revealed that he is single.
On the "DWTS" stage, Madix performed to Hailee Steinfeld's "Love Myself" on Monday night, with the support of her boyfriend, Wai, Shay, and her brother, Jeremy Madix, in the audience.
In her introduction video for "DWTS," she reflected on the past year, saying, "My life has been a rollercoaster in the last year. My partner of nine years and one of my best girlfriends was having an affair behind my back. And everybody got to watch it all play out and my life blow up on television. But the scandal does not define me. So now, I just want to do something for me that's fun and positive."
Madix's performance earned her a score of 21 out of 30, and judge Carrie Ann Inaba praised her resilience, saying, "Can I just say as a woman, cheaters suck! They suck! But you just showed every woman, every man, anybody who is watching how you handle a cheater. You come out here and you turn it up!"
The premiere of Season 32 of "Dancing With the Stars" aired on Tuesday, September 26, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.