The essence
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Ariana Madix is dating personal trainer Daniel Vai, her boyfriend since early 2023.
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Former star reality show «Vanderpump Rules» met Vai at a mutual friend's wedding after breaking up with her ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval.
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New York-based Vai is Madix's biggest fan and his go-to guy on the red carpet.
Ariana Madix may be helping single people find romance as a show host Love Island USA , but she herself is happy in the relationship.
Reality TV Star «"Vanderpump Rules"» Madix has been in a relationship with personal trainer Daniel Vai since early 2023. Their love story began, like many romantic comedies, with a mutual friend's wedding. Although Madix had just broken up with her ex-boyfriend of nine years, Tom Sandoval, and didn't expect to find a partner so soon, she couldn't help but fall in love with Vai.
«"It's all happening faster than she thought, but he's great to her, they're having fun, and she's happy to move on to the next stage of her life with such an incredible guy," a source told the publication. People in May 2023, a few weeks after Madix and Vai were spotted showing affection for each other at Coachella.
Over the years since they met, the couple continues to support each other during important moments, successfully navigates their long-distance relationship, and showcases incredibly stylish appearances on the red carpet. Read on to learn more about Ariana Madix's boyfriend, Daniel Vai.
Vai lives in New York.
Daniel Vai and Ariana Madix at Heineken House during the Coachella Music Festival on April 12, 2025. Photo: Philippe Faraone/Getty Images for Heineken
According to his website, Vai lives in New York City. After studying computer science, business, and mathematics in college, he chose a career in consulting, which forced him to leave the Big Apple. He traveled for work for many years, but eventually felt it was time for a change.
«"I made a decision on my own to pursue consulting in my hometown, beautiful New York City," Vai explained in his professional biography. He also began working part-time as a personal trainer in Manhattan—a career that has now become his full-time job.
He has been working as a fitness trainer for over ten years.
The exact timeline of his career transition is unknown, but Vai claimed on his website and social media that he had been working in the fitness industry for over 10 years. In a TikTok video from 2024, explaining how passing the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer exam changed his life, the trainer said that in "15 years of training," he had helped "over 200 different clients achieve their goals.".
He is his girlfriend's biggest fan.
Daniel Vai and Ariana Madics share a kiss at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
Vai is accustomed to motivating clients in his work, and he displays the same energy when he comes to support Madix on the red carpet and backstage at her shows. In December 2023, in an Instagram video posted after her appearance on the show «Dancing with the Stars» (She placed third in Season 32 with partner Pasha Pashkov), Vai gushed about his girlfriend's talent. "This is a thank you post," he began his caption, adding that she "is so amazing, and for me you are a champion, a people's champion.".
A month later, he also supported her when she made her Broadway debut in the musical "Chicago"« , presenting her with a bouquet in honor of this important milestone in her career. Their official red carpet debut as a couple came a year later, when they appeared together at the iHeart Radio Music Awards in March 2025. Since then, they have turned premieres, music festivals, and exclusive parties into their regular dates. In May 2026, Madix and Vai had one of their most glamorous outings: an event Vulture , dedicated to the most influential reality TV stars, including a graduate VPR .
They are trying to maintain a long-distance relationship.
Daniel Vai and Ariana Madix at a screening of "Luck" in New York City on October 13, 2025. Photo: Arturo Holmes/WireImage
While Madix spends time in New York with Vai, she continues to live in Los Angeles, meaning she and her boyfriend are in a long-distance relationship. People People asked her what makes him so valuable, and the Something About Her co-founder had plenty to say. "He's incredible. He's so smart. He's so compassionate. He's so sweet. He's always by my side," she told the publication.
«"He's someone I look up to, and I feel like if someone had told me five years ago, before I met him, that I was dating this guy, I would have been like, 'Wow.' I would love him for anyone because he's so amazing, and it's all worth it to spend time with him.".
Madix said she wants to "spend the rest of her life" with Vai.
Ariana Madix and Daniel Vai at the ELLE Actor Awards party on February 26, 2026. Photo: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
After two years of relationship, the show's alumna «Dancing with the Stars» made a bold statement about her future with boyfriend Vai. In May 2025, in an interview with Lauren Herbert on the podcast Access Hollywood «"Housewives Nightcap" Madix shared, "I want to spend the rest of my life with this man. Every single day I feel incredibly blessed to be with him and experience the joy he gives me.".
In January 2026, the actress in an interview E! News On the red carpet, she once again praised her partner, whom she's been dating for almost three years. "I think if there's someone I can travel the world with in stressful situations without arguing, then that's the person I want to do everything with," she said.
Read the original article on InStyle.