Ariana Madix from ‘Vanderpump Rules’ is dating New York fitness coach and influencer Daniel Wai. Their romance kicked off after her messy split with Tom Sandoval and has turned into a sweet love story full of adorable moments and PDA that fans can’t get enough of.
Recently, the internet has been wondering if the couple got engaged. So, here’s everything about Ariana Madix’s relationship history with her boyfriend, Daniel Wai. Also, stick with us to find out just who exactly her new man is.
Ariana Madix Is Not Engaged to Her Boyfriend Daniel Wai—At least Not Yet!
Daniel Wai has not proposed to Ariana Madix, at least not publicly, despite a rise in online queries about their engagement. Officially, they’re yet to be engaged as there are no clues about this particular development on their Instagram.
Additionally, neither Ariana nor Daniel has announced anything regarding their rumored engagement. If there’s someone who is engaged in the Madix family, it’s Ariana’s brother Jeremy after he proposed to his girlfriend Rachael in April. Now that this is out of the way, let’s explore Madix and Wai’s adorable love story.
The pair first met in March 2023 at a mutual friend’s wedding in Mexico, just weeks after Ariana learned about Tom’s affair with Raquel Leviss. They hit it off right away, and things quickly heated up between the two. By April, they were spotted getting cozy at Coachella, holding hands, and sharing kisses. Daniel’s Instagram stories were filled with cute pictures of the two, although sources claimed Ariana wasn’t looking for anything serious at the time.
By May 2023, it was obvious that Ariana Madix—who had recently ended a nine-year relationship with Tom Sandoval—was falling harder for Daniel. Even with the long-distance thing—Daniel being in New York City—they maintained a strong connection. Ariana started telling her friends she was falling for Daniel, loving his kindness and how well he treated her. They went more public with their relationship, showing up at events together and posting about their adventures on social media.
Daniel Wai surprised Ariana Madix with a trip to the Governor’s Ball in June 2023, where they got to see Lil Nas X and Kendrick Lamar perform. For Ariana’s birthday later that month, Daniel pulled out all the stops with a BBQ for her friends, a fun night out at a club, and a romantic candlelit concert. The lovebirds kept having fun together, celebrating the Fourth of July in Santa Monica and then heading to Chicago in August 2023. There, they took selfies in front of The Bean and had cozy dinner dates despite the rain.
Ariana and Daniel’s relationship continued to blossom with plenty of public support and appearances. They went to Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour in L.A. in September 2023, dressed in matching silver outfits. In an interview in October 2023, Ariana shared how their long-distance relationship offered her the chance to focus on herself and build a strong emotional connection with Daniel.
Throughout the end of 2023 and into 2024, Daniel Wai was always there for Ariana Madix. He cheered her on during her amazing run on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ where she finished third, and supported her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in ‘Chicago’ in January. Their relationship was full of sweet gestures and shared moments, including Daniel making tacos for Ariana and the couple making their return to Coachella together in April 2024.
Even though their relationship was blessed with good vibes, there were definitely some tense moments. Lala Kent, one of the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ cast, didn’t hold back, calling Daniel a “f****** square.” In the season 11 finale teaser, she made it clear she had doubts about Daniel fitting in with their crew or dealing with Tom Sandoval.
As of November 2024, Ariana Madix and Daniel Wai have been going strong for well over a year, and things are looking better than ever. Ariana gave Daniel a sweet shoutout on Instagram for his birthday, calling him the most handsome guy she knows and thanking him for always having her back.
How Well Do You Know Daniel Wai?
Daniel Wai is a New Yorker with a background in computer science, business, and math from college, and has always been passionate about fitness. While studying, he got into weight training and boxing, which quickly became a big part of his life. Even though he started out in a traditional career, working as a consultant for big clients like Fortune 500 companies, it didn’t quite do it for him.
What really made Daniel happy was his side gig as a fitness trainer. So, he took the leap, left his consulting job, and went all in on personal training—a career he’s been loving for the past 10 years. His fitness journey actually started when he was 13, driven by insecurities about his size and strength, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Daniel Wai’s relationship with Ariana Madix was a major turning point for her, especially when it came to significant life decisions such as having kids. On an episode of ‘Vanderpump Rules,’ she chatted with her costar Lala Kent and shared that being with Wai made her rethink the idea of having children, something she hadn’t really been into before. Madix explained that Wai made her feel like she’d have a true partner to share the responsibilities and support her, which was a refreshing change from her past relationships.
Despite living on opposite coasts, with Wai based in New York and Madix in Los Angeles, the couple makes the most of their time together whenever they can. This came up during Wai’s appearance on ‘Vanderpump Rules’ in April 2024, where Madix talked about their future and what might be next for them. She’s open to the idea of spending more time on both coasts but said her plans really depend on where her career takes her, so moving for work is definitely on the table.
