In the Vanderpump Rules Season 11 premiere, Ariana Madix‘s boyfriend, Daniel Wai, made his big show debut via FaceTime. Ariana’s dealt with backlash for seemingly moving on too fast after the Tom Sandoval breakup. At the VPR Season 11 red carpet, she shut down criticisms that she jumped into another relationship. But what is the relationship timeline of Ariana and Dan’s romance? We break it down below.
March 2023 – Ariana Meets Daniel
In the VPR Season 11 premiere, Ariana revealed she met Daniel at a mutual friend’s wedding. This was in March 2023, only ten or eleven days after Scandoval broke. In her book Single AF Cocktails, Ariana wrote that they did nothing but talk the whole night.
Whether it was meeting Daniel, the outpour of public support, or both, Ariana made her return to social media after the wedding. A few days later, she filmed the emotional Season 10 reunion.
April 2023 – Ariana and Daniel Make Their Debut At Coachella
Daniel first appeared on Ariana’s Instagram in a reel of her time at Coachella. Based solely on the video, it was unclear if he was just a friend. But pretty soon, they were spotted kissing and canoodling at the festival. After Coachella, Ariana and Dan openly flirted in each other’s Instagram comments.
This also seems to be when he met Scheana Shay and Brock Davies. In the Season 11 premiere, Scheana had nothing but great things to say about Dan. Turns out he and Brock bonded over being trainers and became workout buddies.
Ariana debuting her new relationship at Coachella is meaningful for a number of reasons. She previously said—coincidentally, at Rachel Leviss‘ Coachella-themed engagement—that attending the festival together was a significant part of her and Sandoval’s relationship. Also, at the 2022 festival, Sandoval allegedly came on to Rachel and said he and Ariana had an open relationship. And that was when Rachel was rumored to be making out with Tom Schwartz, which started that storyline which covered for her actual affair.
May 2023 – Ariana Talks About Daniel In Interviews
Ariana started the interview rounds after the Season 10 finale aired in May 2023. Of course, she was inevitably asked about the hunky new man in her life. Especially since, throughout the month, they were spotted on dates in New York, where Dan lives. On Watch What Happens Live, Ariana said that they were taking things slow, but slyly added that she was “very satisfied.” I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that was a dig at her ex.
June 2023 – Ariana and Daniel Go Instagram Official
In June, the same month that VPR Season 11 began filming, Ariana and Dan posted their first couple pic on Instagram. Dan created a big surprise for Ariana’s New York visit around her birthday, including tickets to the Governors Ball.
By June, Dan was officially Ariana’s boyfriend, as we saw on VPR. The Season 11 teasers also showed Ariana asking Dan about moving to Los Angeles. It’s unclear if that also happened in June or later in the summer.
August 2023 – Ariana & Dan Visit Chicago
Somehow, as she was filming multiple reality TV shows and crushing endorsement deals, Ariana found time to make memories with Dan. As we know from VPR, taking trips together is important for Ariana in her relationships.
September 2023 – Dan Attends The VPR Season 11 Finale Cast Trip
Dan was in San Francisco with the rest of the Vanderpump Rules cast to film the Season 11 finale. Yes, that means Dan was on a trip with Ariana’s ex, Sandoval…surely that wasn’t awkward at all! He also supported Ariana as she tearfully walked away from producers, presumably because she refused to film with Sandoval.
October 2023 – Ariana Praises Dan’s DWTS Support
Dan was frequently in the audience to support Ariana’s run on Dancing With The Stars. In an October interview, Ariana gushed over how the New York City-based bartender would fly across the country every week just to cheer her on.
January 2024 – Dan Supports Ariana’s Broadway Debut
Nearly a year after they first met, Ariana and Dan’s relationship is going strong. In late January 2024, Dan was right beside Ariana when she left the stage door after her triumphant debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago. Ariana’s three month run in the musical also means that both lovebirds will be in NYC for a while.
The day after Ariana’s first performance, Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules began. In the premiere alone, viewers found out more about Ariana and Dan’s relationship timeline. Hopefully we’ll see the relationship progress, and learn more about Dan, as the season goes on.
TELL US – WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION OF DANIEL ON VANDERPUMP RULES? DO YOU THINK ARIANA MOVED ON TOO FAST?
