Pump Rules’ Rachel ‘Raquel’ Leviss gets the ‘rage’ surrounding Scandoval

Rachel ‘Raquel’ Leviss becomes candid about her view of the past year.

“The day has finally come when I get the chance to tell my own story in my words,” said 29-year-old Leviss in the “Rachel goes rogue” podcast teaser released on Monday, December 18. “The good, the bad, the ugly, everything.”

Earlier this year, news broke that Leviss was having an affair with her Vanderpump Rules Co-star Tom Sandoval. We weekly confirmed this in March Ariana Madix ended her nine-year relationship with Sandoval, 40, after learning of his infidelity.

“I know what I did was morally wrong,” Leviss thought. “And I understand, I understand the anger.”

Related: Everything Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss have said about their affair

Want to start the conversation? After Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss’ affair came to light, their Vanderpump Rules costars have spoken at length about the drama. Us Weekly confirmed in March 2023 that Sandoval and Ariana Madix called it quits after nine years together due to his infidelity. Immediately after the news broke, current Madix members and former castmates were in attendance […]

After undergoing 90 days of treatment at a trauma therapy center in the wake of the scandal, Leviss said she blocked Sandoval’s number — but that didn’t stop him from publicly wishing her a happy birthday via an Instagram in September -commentary.

“I’m just trying to put myself in his shoes, did he do this to be hateful?” she wondered in the podcast teaser. “Or did he do this to say, ‘I want the best for you.’ Because it seems like it could go either way.”

Leviss confessed that it was a “difficult process” for her to “completely cut Sandoval out of her life” because “the story” she told herself about their affair made it seem “so special and so real.” Eventually coming to terms with all its ‘red flags’ allowed her to move on.

“Once I broke out of denial and realized how manipulative he is, I couldn’t put myself in a situation where, at my most vulnerable, I would probably end up back in those old patterns that I’m trying to break free from. ,” she explained.

Related: ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Stars Who Left the Series: Where Are They Now?

Several Vanderpump Rules stars have left the Bravo series over the years. Cameras began following the staff at Lisa Vanderpump’s West Hollywood restaurant SUR in 2012 after she rose to fame on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Season 1 of Pump Rules, which premiered in January 2013, starred Lisa, Stassi Schroeder, Jax […]

As for where Leviss is today with the Bravo show, she shared that she has “completely removed” herself from “the film environment that Vanderpump Rules.” (Us confirmed in August that Leviss would not return for season 11 of the reality series.)

Leviss noted that her “first mistake” returned for season 10, as she should have “taken time to heal” and found a therapist after calling it quits with costar and ex-fiance. James Kennedy. “When I look back on that season, I was at my lowest low,” she said.

After interacting with Kennedy, 31, Leviss said she “could only imagine” the pain she would cause Madix by filming in the same environment as her.

“Being involved with someone’s boyfriend while they are still in a relationship is a huge betrayal and as painful as it is,” she said. “But then to continue to work with these people and communicate with them – maybe not even talk – but hear what they are doing and see your person who you loved so much and thought they loved you as much as you of them, talking to this other person… it would be so catastrophic and I didn’t want to do that to Ariana. I didn’t want to put her in that position.”

Related: Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval’s relationship timeline

Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval sparked a romance in the summer of 2022, while he was still dating Ariana Madix — and the fallout was messy, to say the least. Vanderpump Rules fans discovered that Sandoval was hooked up with Madix during season 2 of the Bravo hit when his then-girlfriend, Kristen Doute, claimed he cheated with […]

Leviss admitted that she “drank a ton” during filming, but clarified that this was “not an excuse.” She added, “Frankly, I wasn’t in a good mental space. Knowing that helps me learn from my mistakes.”

Leviss and Kennedy split in December 2021 after a seven-month engagement. She added that she has a “no contact policy” during filming with Kennedy, who is now dating Ally Lewber.

“When we work together and film together and he shows off his new girlfriend who he met three weeks after I ended the engagement, it hurts,” she said. “And so many questions went through my mind, like: Did he ever really love me? How is it possible to love someone and then get over it so quickly?

It was “taking a step back” that gave her “a lot of clarity” about the situation.

“I look back on season 10… Oh god, it’s a really hard season to watch back because I just cringe at all the things and moments that they caught on camera,” she said. “It’s really embarrassing.

She continued: “But I see a girl who is going through pain and doesn’t have the right tools to deal with it, and she deals with it and the way she feels like her needs are being met is by someone who is her worship and attention. I really didn’t prioritize my friendships when I got involved with Tom and I deeply regret that.

As for the rest of her former costars, Leviss said she hasn’t heard from anyone since the affair, but noted that physical violence is a line she won’t cross. In March, Leviss claimed that costar Scheana Shay pushed her against a brick wall and punched her in the left eye after hearing about the scandal. Leviss later filed a restraining order against Shay, 38, who denied the accusation. Later that month, Leviss confirmed this in a statement Us that the restraining order was revoked.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About ‘Pump Rules’ Season 11

Vanderpump Rules has officially been renewed for season 11 – and viewers are in for a messy return in the wake of Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval’s cheating scandal. Us Weekly confirmed in March 2023 that Sandoval and Ariana Madix had called it quits after nearly a decade of dating due to his infidelity. If […]

Leviss announced last month that she planned to “tell her story” with her podcast.

“I’m Rachel Leviss,” she said in a November trailer. “This may not be the return you expect, but next January you will hear my side of the story, and you may be surprised at what you discover. I hope you’ll join me.’

“Rachel Goes Rogue” premieres January 8, 2024, on the iHeartRadio app and wherever podcasts are heard.