Stephanie Augello/Shutterstock
Raquel Leviss Is Not Returning to ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Season 11 After Scandoval Drama
After missing much of season 11 filming for Vanderpump Rules, star Raquel “Rachel” Leviss will not be returning to the show following her months-long affair with Tom Sandoval, according to multiple reports published on Thursday, August 17. The scandal, a.k.a. Scandoval, caused the the breakup of his nine-year relationship with her former best friend, Ariana Madix.
Both Tom, 41, and Ariana, 38, returned to filming when production on the new season began on June 28, but Raquel, 28, was in a mental health rehab facility at the time. She entered treatment following the March 23 season 10 reunion show taping and was left in early July.
While the majority of the VPR cast was filming a trip to Lake Tahoe in mid-July, Raquel was photographed for the first time in four months outside her family’s home in Tucson, Arizona, on July 19. She wore a baseball cap with a message reading, “Be a better person.” Her sighting came amid claims from an insider who told In Touch she was demanding a much bigger paycheck before returning to the show.
As of August 17, Raquel had not been seen filming any scenes for the upcoming season 11. All of the main cast members have been photographed by paparazzi shooting scenes while some have posted Instagram photos of their adventures, including the Tahoe trip which revealed that Sandoval joined the rest of his costars despite several saying they wanted nothing to do with him after his affair with Raquel was exposed.
Lisa Vanderpump revealed on May 18 that that she hadn’t “had any contact with Raquel” and that the former waitress needed to re-evaluate her priorities. “I think she really needs to discuss with us what’s going on in her life, but Sandoval’s been part of that group for 15 years prior,” the SUR owner said. “You know, four years prior to the show. So, of course, there’s conversations and questions to be answered, and I hope they can get to that place. That’s what I really hope for them.”
Raquel and Sandoval had a seven-month long secret affair that was exposed on March 1 when Ariana found messages from her former BFF on her then-partner’s phone. Two days later, their split was revealed after a nine years as a couple. The three-part reunion episodes saw cast members unload on the former lovers.
“I’m super embarrassed and not proud of myself,” Raquel said during the June 7 episode. “And I know I owe a lot of people in this room an apology … I have been super, super selfish.” That caused Ariana to fire back, “Selfish does not f–king cover it, bitch. Diabolical, demented, disgusting, subhuman — start getting a better vocabulary to describe your f–king actions because selfish does not f–king cover it.”
After news of the affair broke, the Sonoma, California, native issued a statement via Instagram on March 8. “I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships,” she began. “There is no excuse, I am not a victim, and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana
The Bravo star said that she’s been “reflecting on my choices, speaking to a counselor and I am learning things about myself such as my patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved.”
“I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy without regard for my own well-being, sometimes negatively affecting others and often prioritizing the intimate connection over my friendships,” she continued, adding, “I am taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices.”
