Raquel Leviss says she ‘needed to get caught’ in Scandoval: ‘Biggest wake-up call’
Raquel Leviss revealed that her involvement in a long-term affair with Tom Sandoval served as a major wake-up call for her. The 28-year-old “Vanderpump Rules” star, who will not be returning for Season 11, discussed the aftermath of the affair, which has been dubbed “Scandoval,” on part three of Bethenny Frankel’s “Just B” podcast. Leviss admitted that getting caught was necessary because it prevented the affair from continuing and forced her to confront the person she didn’t want to be. She described it as her biggest wake-up call. Bethenny Frankel, a former beauty pageant queen and star of “RHONY,” agreed that Leviss had hit rock bottom.
Although Leviss has been open about the challenges she has faced since the affair was exposed, she mentioned that the one positive aspect of the situation has been her ability to help others begin their healing journey. Leviss expressed gratitude for this silver lining. Despite this, it seems that Bravo fans will not be seeing Leviss on their screens anytime soon. When asked if she would return to the show, Leviss responded with a firm “Hell no.”
During the podcast interview, Leviss admitted that she was in a state of emotional pain when she decided to start a secret affair with Sandoval, who was in a long-term relationship with her friend and co-star Ariana Madix. Leviss shared that she was unhappy at the time and didn’t want to find herself in that kind of situation again. She pledged to avoid repeating such mistakes.
Leviss also acknowledged feeling disappointed in herself for letting down those who believed in her. She recognized that her actions had broken trust and caused betrayal among her friends. Leviss’s comments came shortly after Lisa Vanderpump confirmed that Leviss would not be returning to the show. Vanderpump explained that the cast no longer believed anything Leviss said, making her return pointless.
When asked why Leviss chose not to come back, Vanderpump admitted that she didn’t understand Leviss’s decision-making. At the explosive Season 10 reunion, Leviss faced criticism from her castmates, including Madix, who made it clear that reconciliation was out of the question. Following the affair, Leviss sought treatment at a mental health facility in Wickenburg, Arizona, for three months before checking out in July.
Raquel Leviss said getting caught in being wrapped up in a months-long affair with Tom Sandoval was the “biggest wake-up call” for her.
The “Vanderpump Rules” star, 28, who will not be returning to the show for Season 11, opened up about the fallout of the affair, dubbed “Scandoval.”
“I needed to get caught. I needed to,” Leviss said on part three of Bethenny Frankel’s “Just B” podcast, which was released Friday. “Because it would have just continued, and that’s not who I want to be. This was the biggest wakeup call for me.”
“You hit rock bottom,” the “RHONY” alum, 52, told the former beauty pageant queen, who agreed with a clear-cut “Yes.”
While Leviss has been open about the harsh reality she’s faced since the affair came to light, the reality star said helping others kickstart their healing journey has been the one “silver lining” in the situation.
Despite that, it looks like Bravo fans won’t be seeing Leviss on their screens anytime soon, as when quizzed on whether she’d return to the show, she answered with a stern, “Hell no.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Leviss said she “was hurting” when she decided to kickstart a secret affair with Sandoval, who was in a nine-year relationship with pal and co-star Ariana Madix, 38.
“I wasn’t happy. I was really hurting,” she shared. “I don’t ever want to be in a place like that again, and I will make sure that I don’t put myself in a situation like that again.”
“I really just want to acknowledge that a lot of people were believing in me, and I feel like I was a disappointment to those people,” she added. “I know that there was a lot of trust that was broken between friendships and betrayal that happened. I look back at my actions, and I’m disappointed in myself as well.”
Leviss’ comments came just one day after Lisa Vanderpump confirmed that Leviss will not be returning to the show — saying there’s no point for her to come back because the cast doesn’t “believe anything she says.”
“She talked about it [coming back]. Her team reached out, but in the end I think she decided not to. The cast don’t really believe anything she says, so there’s no point in her [return],” Vanderpump told TMZ Thursday.
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When asked why Leviss isn’t coming back to the show, the “RHOBH” alum said, “I don’t know. I don’t really understand anything she does.”
At the explosive Season 10 reunion, the Bravolebrity was slammed by her castmates, including Madix, who made it clear there was no chance of a reconciliation.
Leviss later checked into a mental health facility in Wickenburg, Ariz., in a desperate bid to work on herself, before checking out in July after three months of treatment.
