Ariana Madix is going from making headlines to starring in a Lifetime thriller inspired by them.
The “Vanderpump Rules” star, who became a household name after being cheated on by her longtime boyfriend Tom Sandoval in an sordid affair dubbed “the Scandoval,” will play a cop named Karen who aids star and executive producer Meagan Good’s character after her teen daughter is trafficked.
The logline for the film reads: “When Dana (Good) and Curtis’ (Roger Cross) 16-year-old daughter, Alicia (Faith Wright), sneaks out of the house to attend a party, a bout with teenage rebellion quickly escalates into a widespread search party spearheaded by Dana and the police. After almost a year of searching for her missing daughter, mother’s intuition leads Dana to the salacious world of online escort ads where, to her horror, she finds her Alicia listed for sale. Dana and Curtis spring into action and attempt to ‘buy their daughter back’ in order to rescue her from the trafficker who abducted Alicia and subjected her to unspeakable harm. Madix stars as Karen, a police officer who helps investigate the case and has a personal connection to the story.”
Lifetime is capitalizing on the buzz surrounding the Bravo reality TV star and sometimes actress, featuring her prominently in promotional materials for the film. “Buying Back My Daughter” premieres Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. PT on Lifetime.
Lifetime isn’t the only place you’ll see Madix this fall. She was the first announced competitor on the upcoming Season 32 of “Dancing With the Stars” on ABC, where she will be partnered with pro Pasha Pashkov. “DWTS” premieres Sept. 26.
Madix also recently wrapped filming on Season 11 of “Vanderpump Rules.” Her ex, Sandoval, also returned to the long-running unscripted Bravo show, even though Madix said she would never film with or speak to him again. Viewers can catch Sandoval in the second season of “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” which premieres Sept. 25. He’s also rumored to be on the current season of “The Masked Singer.”
“Buying Back My Daughter” is produced by Front Street Pictures for distribution by Lifetime with producer Charles Cooper. Executive producers are Orly Adelson, Allen Lewis and Good with James Jope as co-executive producer. Troy Scott directs from a script written by Barbara Marshall.
Check out the trailer for “Buying Back My Daughter” in the video above.
