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Tom Sandoval<\/a> has had a truly turbulent year, and the reality star is looking back on how his life, and his outlook, has changed in the wake of <\/span>the infamous “Scandoval” drama<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Sandoval, 40, walked the carpet at the season 11 premiere of <\/span>Vanderpump Rules<\/em><\/a> — held at the Hollywood Palladium on Wednesday — and he spoke with ET’s Brice Sander about how his mentality has evolved since the last season premiere event.<\/span><\/p>\n “The Tom that was here [last time] was a dude lost in a cyclone,” Sandoval shared. “Like somebody who was just lost in the ocean, barely hanging on to an old wooden door like in the [end of] <\/span>Titanic<\/span><\/em>.\u00a0Literally just not in control. No idea what the hell’s going on.”<\/span><\/p>\n However, going through what he’s gone through in the public eye — following his high-profile cheating scandal that <\/span>led to the very public fallout<\/a> between himself and his ex, <\/span>Ariana Madix<\/a> — has given him the chance to look at his situation differently.<\/span><\/p>\n “Going through that has really helped me put in perspective things that are really important,” he said. “[It] helped me grow, as far as prioritizing certain things. And [it] really just put me to the test to see what I’m made of.”<\/span><\/p>\n Coming back to shoot season 11 amid the fallout of Scandoval also led to some tension between himself and other castmates, and Sandoval said “everyone” gave him a hard time “in very different ways.”<\/span><\/p>\n While Sandoval returned for the new season, <\/span>Rachel Leviss<\/a> — with whom Sandoval had his clandestine romance — declined to come back. Instead, Leviss has been <\/span>sharing her side of her story in a new podcast<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Rachel Goes Rogue.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n While Sandoval says he hasn’t listened to her podcast, he did wish her well in her future.<\/span><\/p>\n “I know she wants to move on, and I want her to do that and I wish her the best, really, “Sandoval shared.<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, <\/span>as the show is set to return<\/a>, Sandoval wants people to remember that the castmembers — himself included — are real human beings with real emotions and inner lives.<\/span><\/p>\n “I think it’s important for people to understand that… I’m not a character [on a scripted show]… I’m a human being, like every single one of my castmembers. We really put ourselves out there, you know?” he said. “I, unfortunately, made a huge mistake…\u00a0but I am a human being. I’m a real person. Just try to keep that in mind.”<\/span><\/p>\n Season 11 of <\/span>Vanderpump Rules<\/em><\/a> premieres Jan. 30 on Bravo.<\/span><\/p>\n