Ariana Madix is a television personality, model, actress, dancer, and bartender from the United States. She was part of the cast of the Bravo reality series Vanderpump Rules from 2013 to 2024. In 2024, she assumed the role of permanent host for Love Island USA.
Early Life & Education
Ariana Madix was born on June 24, 1985, in Melbourne, Florida, and was brought up by her father, James, and her mother, Tanya.
She shared her upbringing with both parents and her younger brother, Jeremy Madix. James has Irish ancestry, while the ethnicity of Tanya remains unspecified.
At the age of six, Madix started her journey in horseback riding, which led to a successful competitive equestrian career. She also triumphed in two national dance championships.
She graduated from Eau Gallie High School in 2003 and later, in 2007, obtained two bachelor’s degrees in theater and broadcast communications from Flagler College.
While pursuing her studies, she worked as a costumed character at Disney World, embodying roles such as Ariel, Cinderella, and Aurora.
Ariana Madix Career
In the early stages of her career, Ariana Madix often appeared in videos for the comedy platform CollegeHumor. Facing challenges in securing television roles in New York City, she opted to relocate to Los Angeles.
There, she began her employment at Lisa Vanderpump’s establishments, SUR and Villa Blanca, which led to her inclusion in the reality television series Vanderpump Rules in 2013, chronicling the experiences of the servers at SUR, PUMP, and Villa Blanca.
She remained a part of Vanderpump Rules for eleven seasons until it was revealed that the twelfth season would introduce a new cast.
Ariana Madix made guest appearances in various television series, such as Fox’s live-action sitcom Dads and FX’s sitcom Anger Management.
Additionally, she featured in films including Working It Out (2010), Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt (2011), Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader (2012), Dirty Dealing 3D (2018), and Dead End (2019).
In 2019, she portrayed herself in the comedy series The Other Two during the episode titled ‘Chase Shoots a Music Video’. On December 3, 2019, Madix and Tom Sandoval published their cocktail book, Fancy AF Cocktails: Drink Recipes from a Couple of Professional Drinkers, through Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
In March 2023, Madix commenced the filming of the Lifetime movie Buying Back My Daughter (2023) in Vancouver. She portrays a police officer named Karen, who is involved in the investigation of a sex trafficking case. This film aligns with the network’s initiative to promote the ‘Stop Violence Against Women’ campaign.
On July 7, 2023, during an episode of Good Morning America, Derek Hough, a judge on Dancing with the Stars, announced that Ariana Madix would be competing in the 32nd season of the ABC dance competition. Together with her partner Pasha Pashkov, she achieved a third-place ranking.
In November 2023, she served as a special guest host for three episodes of the inaugural season of Love Island Games. She succeeded Sarah Hyland as the host of the sixth season of the dating reality show Love Island. Furthermore, on May 6, 2024, it was confirmed that Madix would once again take on the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago.
On December 6, 2023, Madix revealed her upcoming Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago, a role she will perform for eight weeks beginning January 29, 2024.
Personal Life
From 2014 to 2023, Ariana Madix was in a relationship with Tom Sandoval. Their separation became public after it was revealed that Sandoval had cheated on Madix with her friend and co-star, Raquel (now Rachel) Leviss. This incident and its repercussions were dubbed ‘Scandoval’.
Presently, Madix is dating Daniel Wai, a fitness coach located in New York City. The couple met at a wedding of a mutual friend in Mexico and are currently managing a long-distance relationship, with Madix living in Los Angeles and Wai in New York City. In 2020, Madix came out as bisexual.
Net Worth
Ariana Madix is a prominent American actress, model, and reality television figure with a net worth of $2 million.
