{"id":43457,"date":"2023-10-05T01:05:38","date_gmt":"2023-10-05T01:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/05\/tom-sandoval-unmasked-as-diver-on-the-masked-singer\/"},"modified":"2023-10-05T01:05:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-05T01:05:38","slug":"tom-sandoval-unmasked-as-diver-on-the-masked-singer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/05\/tom-sandoval-unmasked-as-diver-on-the-masked-singer\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Sandoval Unmasked as Diver on \u2018The Masked Singer\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>
Michael Becker \/ FOX<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tom Sandoval<\/strong><\/a> isn\u2019t the No. 1 guy in the group on Vanderpump Rules<\/em><\/a> \u2014 or on The Masked Singer<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sandoval, 41, was unmasked as the Diver during the Wednesday, October 4, episode of the Fox competition series. \u201cThis was so much fun. Being able to come out here and perform behind a mask not being judged and just being judged on my performance it was really nice,\u201d he said after revealing his identity. \u201cI knew I was getting guessed right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior to his unmasking, Sandoval dropped various clues about his identity \u2014 including being \u201chated\u201d by the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking my debut as the Diver last week was so rewarding. It felt great to get all the love from the panel and audience, something you know, I haven\u2019t gotten much of lately,\u201d he said in his Wednesday promo package. \u201cAs a kid, I always wanted to be famous. I modeled, acted and, of course, sang. I was always waiting to become a household name \u2014 I just didn\u2019t think it would be from everyone hating me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\"The<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>‘The Masked Singer’Controversies Through the Years: Rudy Giuliani, More<\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tThe Masked Singer has hosted plenty of popular actors, athletes and musicians over the years, but producers have occasionally found themselves in hot water over controversial contestants and other mishaps. One of the Fox reality show\u2019s earliest controversies came in March 2020 when Sarah Palin was unmasked as the Bear during season 3. The former [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Sandoval noted that he was ready to \u201cshow the world I\u2019m more than my mistakes\u201d adding that participating in The Masked Singer<\/em> has been a \u201chealing experience.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGetting to share my talent instead of my drama is exactly what I\u2019ve needed,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

Some of the judges thought Pete Davidson<\/strong><\/a> or DJ Pauly D<\/strong><\/a> was under the costume, particularly after the Diver revealed his affection for \u201cthe club.\u201d Ken Jeong<\/strong><\/a>, however, had Sandoval marked from the start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Diver is Tom Sandoval and I\u2019ll tell you why. Clubs, restaurants, bars. Tom Sandoval owns two clubs. High heels, pumps as in Vandeprump Rules<\/em>. There you go!\u201d he exclaimed.\u00a0Jenny McCarthy<\/strong><\/a> agreed. \u201cThere was a pump in the package, he is a performer, I think this could be Tom Sandoval,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans also suspected Sandoval was behind the Diver mask from the very beginning. \u201cUsually, I\u2019m pretty pumped, but lately, I\u2019ve been lost in the abyss,\u201d he said during the season premiere. \u201cI might be the most hated creature in the ocean right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Super sleuths \u2014 and Us Weekly<\/em> \u2014 immediately suspected that \u201cpumped\u201d was a reference to Pump Rules<\/em><\/a>, while \u201cthe most hated creature\u201d seemed like an obvious reference to Sandoval\u2019s controversial affair<\/a> with costar Raquel Leviss<\/strong><\/a>. Us<\/em> confirmed in March that Sandoval and longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix<\/strong><\/a> called it quits after nine years together following Sandoval\u2019s secret romance with Leviss, 29.<\/p>\n

Diver\u2019s clue packages<\/a> heavily implied that he\u2019d been involved in some sort of scandal<\/a>, with references to him having made mistakes in the past. \u201cIt hurts when I get judged by people who\u2019ve never even met me, and I become a scapegoat for every bad dude they\u2019ve ever known,\u201d he said during the season premiere. \u201cGetting to share my voice without the preconceived notion of who I am is really what I need right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few visual clues also hinted at Sandoval, including a compass pointing to the letters \u201cMW\u201d \u2014 perhaps as reference to his hometown of St. Louis, which is in the Midwest. Another clue displayed the phrase \u201c11 million eyes on Diver\u201d written across a magazine cover. Season 10 of Pump Rules<\/em>, meanwhile, reached an average of 11 million viewers per episode.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Diver<\/div>
Greg Doherty\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe more people talk about my business, the more I want them out of it,\u201d Diver said at one point. While this could have been a reference to his personal life, it could also have been a nod to his stakes in the restaurants TomTom and Schwartz & Sandy\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\n
\n