“Vanderpump Rules” star Ariana Madix made a statement with her outfit choice for the ‘Dancing With the Stars” premiere. The reality star rocked a dance-friendly version of her revenge dress from the Bravo series for the final performance of the ABC show’s Season 32 kickoff episode, performing a tango to “Love Myself” by Hailee Steinfeld with her pro partner Pasha Pashkov.
“My life has been a roller coaster for the past year,” Madix said in a segment before the performance, before recalling the controversy that propelled her to prominence earlier this year.
“This scandal does not define me. I just want to do something that is for me and positive,” she said.
The dance number wowed the judges, who praised Madix for taking on the challenge of training for the show in the midst of the “Scandoval.” She and Pashkov scored a 21 out of 30.
“I just hope I can stick around long enough to keep experiencing it,” she told co-host Julianne Hough of her positive experience on the ABC show. And she will remain for at least one more week, as “Veep” star Matt Walsh became the first eliminated star by the end of the season premiere.
Madix first rocked the dress during the infamous Season 10 reunion episodes of “Vanderpump Rules,” the first time the cast of the Bravo reality series reunited after the fallout of the “Scandoval” cheating scandal.
Madix was the first contestant to be announced for Season 32, after being involved in the “Scandoval.” Her life became tabloid fodder when she learned her longtime boyfriend Tom Sandoval had been cheating on her with one of her best friends, fellow cast member Rachel Leviss. The fallout of the scandal was captured on the latest season of the Bravo reality show.
Since then, Madix received an avalanche of support from viewers and the industry. She is set to star in the upcoming Lifetime thriller “Buying Back My Daughter,” and even made an appearance during the NBCUniversal upfronts presentation in May. Meanwhile Sandoval has kept a lower profile, touring with his cover band over the summer and now appearing in the Fox competition series “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.”
Ahead of the “Dancing With the Stars” premiere, Madix joined fellow contestant Jason Mraz in celebrating the season’s bisexual talent.
“I would love to see more and more representation all across the board,” Madix told GLAAD alongside her professional dancing partner Pasha Pashkov. “So to be able to represent my community in that way, I’m really, really grateful.”
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, and streams on Disney+ and Hulu.
