Ariana Madix steps out in LA… as co-star Raquel Leviss starts VPR contract negotiations

Ariana Madix was spotted wearing an all black outfit as she stepped out in Los Angeles on ahead of the weekend.

The 38-year-old Vanderpump Rules personality — who is preparing a new business venture — wore a cropped black hoodie and biker shorts.

The Bravo TV star pulled her frosty blonde hair into a high top knot bun that was secured with a green scrunchie.

Ariana, who was scorned by ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval when he had a months-long affair with their costar Raquel Leviss, added a pair of large, round sunglasses to her look.

The outing comes after news broke on Friday that Leviss is beginning contract negotiations for season 11 of their hit reality television series.

Madix, who was born in Florida, wore tiny earrings and carried a small, black leather backpack.

The entrepreneur flashed the top of her toned midriff in the high-waisted spandex shorts. 

She carried her phone in her hand as she stepped out on the Southern California day.

Her athleisure look was rounded out with a pair of green, black, and white Nike high top sneakers. 

As production attempts to capture the fallout from Raquel’s affair with Tom, the reality star, 28, is working to arrange her return to the show.

On the heels of the unscripted show’s record-breaking finale, which had 4.1 million viewers, a source told TMZ that the former pageant queen only began hammering out the details of her new contract ‘just three days ago.’

Bravo has reportedly been hesitant to make a deal with her until she completes her stay at a mental health facility over fears of ‘legal peril if she backslides’ if they bring her ‘back too early.’ 

Now, production feels it has ‘the green light to start the negotiations’ as she prepares to leave treatment ‘soon.’ 

The delayed talks come days after an insider told the outlet that season 11 of Vanderpump Rules was set to go into production on Wednesday.

By that time Leviss had not committed to joining the cast and crew.

Sources said that both Bravo and Leviss’ team are ‘working hard to get her on the show.’

However, the insiders also noted that her time at the mental health facility remains a priority.

The rest of the cast, including Ariana and Tom, will be making their return to the highly-popular Bravo program.

During season 10’s reunion, which aired earlier in June, Raquel was noncommittal about coming back.

At the time she told boss Andy Cohen: ‘I don’t know. It’s in question right now. I want to.’

During the three reunion episodes Ariana eviscerated her ex Tom after he betrayed her with Raquel.

An insider told DailyMail.com earlier this month that Raquel began treatment at a mental health facility ‘to become a better person.’

The person said: ‘Upon the completion of filming the reunion, Raquel entered a voluntary inpatient behavioral health and trauma facility and remains there to date – 68 days and counting.’