Courtesy of Raquel Leviss/ Instagram
Vanderpump Rules’ James Kennedy Gets Custody Over Dog After Barking Battle With Ex Raquel Leviss
Vanderpump Rules‘ Raquel Leviss didn’t just fight over a man, but also the custody of her dog. The affair-riddled star shared pooch Graham with ex-fiance James Kennedy since their split in 2021, and the DJ has finally regained ownership of their pet.
“Look who made his way back home, back into my life, I’ll take care of you forever and I love you,” James captioned his Wednesday, July 19, Instagram post, sharing the news with fans.
Alongside the announcement, James, 31, shared photos of himself kissing the goldendoodle with girlfriend Ally Lewber as they enjoyed Lake Tahoe alongside their VPR castmates for their season 11 trip.
“So confused! I met Lisa [Vanderpump] and Ken [Vanderpump] last night with this precious pup and I literally said ‘he looks like Graham’ and she acted as tho it wasn’t him! I am shook! And so happy for you! XO,” one fan commented.
A second person wrote, “This is the real scandoval redemption arc we all wanna see !!! Yas James Yas Graham thrive boys!!!! [sic].”
James and his costars Lala Kent, Scheana Shay, Brock Davies, Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz are filming their oncamera vacation, while Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney stayed behind in Los Angeles.
Raquel, 28, was also noticeably missing from the trip. Instead, she was photographed near her family’s neighborhood in Tuscon, Arizona, on Wednesday, July 19, after a source told In Touch that she is seeking a pay raise for her VPR return. It was the first time Raquel was publicly seen since she entered mental health rehab facility after filming the explosive season 10 reunion in March, the same month her affair with Sandoval, who was dating Ariana at the time, went public.
As calling off her engagement with James, viewers saw their custody battle over Graham play out during the recent season of Vanderpump Rules as Raquel created “boundaries” with James and monitored when he could visit the pooch.
Before their split and during their relationship, James and Raquel threw their furry child a “puppy shower” during season 7. The pair invited their castmates to the dog party, hoping to “rekindle old friendships” that were broken from ongoing drama.
Although most castmates like Stassi Schroeder declined the invite to the event, Ariana, 38, Sandoval, 40, Scheana, 38, and other non-VPR friends celebrated the pup.
During a confessional, Ariana admitted that the party was more for Raquel than James.
“I don’t really know if this puppy shower is like a James thing. I would say that this party is pretty much 98 percent Raquel and two percent James,” she said.
When asked why the puppy shower was so important during a separate confessional interview, James admitted that the party “was Raquel’s idea” but he “was going along with the idea” and “loved it.”
