Vanderpump Rules stars Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval are mourning the unexpected death of their close friend Ali Rafiq
As if things weren’t rough enough already Vanderpump Rules Stars Tom Sandoval And Ariana Madix! Now they are dealing with the sudden death of Tom’s longtime friend Ali Rafiq. The St. Louis-based photographer passed away sometime last week and his funeral was held on Saturday, May 20.
The cause of Ali’s sudden death is currently unknown. “We don’t know how he died,” his sister Rabia said in an Instagram story on Saturday. “He was already gone [when we found him]. We won’t get any answers from his tests for weeks, so we don’t know.”
Tom and Ali were childhood friends
Both Tom and Ariana took to social media to express their sadness at the loss of their boyfriend. “I keep wanting to text you,” Ariana wrote in an Instagram story. “We were just planning your trip to LA and talking about our future and all the things we were looking forward to.”
After listing everything she would miss about her friend, the Something About Her owner added, “I miss you @alispacerafiq and…I hope that somehow resonates with you.” I love you forever and eternal. I’m grateful for the moments we shared together, for the love and friendship you’ve shown me over the past ten years.”
“You are so loved and you are so missed,” Ariana concluded. “I am proud to say that I know Ali the Great. Because you ARE and always will be the greatest.”
Likewise, Tom posted a touching tribute to his pal, along with a photo of Ali relaxing in a hot tub. “The love I have for you is beyond words,” he wrote. “I will carry you in my heart forever.”
“I always cherish the fond memories, uncontrollable laughter and epic experiences we had together,” he added. “You were my best friend, my brother. I’ll catch you at the next sunrise…
5 minutes/5 hours 5 or 500.”
Just a few days ago, Ali shared a black-and-white selfie of himself and Ariana from the early days of Pump Rules. He captioned the recap, “Starting from the bottom here we are @arianamadix #pumprules #2014.”
The sad news of his close friend’s death follows the breakup of Tom and Ariana’s nine-year relationship. When she found out in early March that he had been cheating on her with a close friend for months Rachel Raquel Leviss and Ariana dumped Tom on the side of the road – and now she’s moving on and leaving their shared apartment.
As much as I despise Sandoval, I’m sorry he lost his close friend so suddenly. It is devastating when someone you love dies without being able to say goodbye. I offer my sincere condolences to him and Ariana on the loss of their friend.
PLEASE do not hesitate to express your condolences in the comments section below.
