Vanderpump Rules star Raquel Leviss has opened up about her explosive affair with Tom Sandoval – dubbed Scandoval by fans - teasing that there’s more drama to come at the show's upcoming reunion.
Fans were left shocked after learning Tom Sandoval had cheated on his girlfriend of nine years, Ariana Madix, with their co-star Raquel. Only last year, Raquel found herself in hot water after kissing her other co-star (and Sandoval’s business partner) Tom Schwartz at a wedding (despite him being in the midst of his divorce from Katie Maloney.)
Complicated, we know.
Addressing the months-long affair with Tom Sandoval, Raquel explained, ‘It started out as a friendship, and it turned into something more. But I’m sure we’ll go into detail about all of that at the reunion.’
She also denied that Sandoval's BFF business partner Schwartz was aware of their secret relationship, adding that she hadn't spoken to any cast members since the news broke.
And with Tom and Ariana now split, Raquel said that she didn’t know what her future with the TomTom club owner would hold.
She revealed, ‘I don’t know where our relationship is going to be. We’re just trying to get through these next few steps and trying to make amends, hear everybody out. I know a lot of people are angry, so just getting through these steps and seeing where it goes… We’re not putting a label on anything. We’re just kind of taking a break for now.’
Raquel also put to bed the rumour that her controversial kiss with Tom Schwartz was a tactic to distract from her affair, saying ‘I genuinely had an interest in Tom Schwartz and there’s a genuine curiosity there, so it wasn’t a cover up.’
And the former SUR hostess also confirmed that she had reached out to Ariana after the betrayal was made public, sharing ‘We talked over the phone, and I apologised to her over text, but she didn’t receive it very well. I know I have to take accountability [at the reunion] for my actions, and I’m completely prepared to do that.’
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Raquel had filed for an order of protection against another co-star, Scheana Shay. It was alleged that Raquel had come clean about the affair to her former friend – with Scheana growing physical.
And while Raquel kept hush about the alleged fight, she appeared to allude to it. Pointing to an injury above her eye, she said ‘Scheana knows what happened that night. I’m not going to go into it too much, but I do have a permanent scar on my eyebrow.’
Scheana has denied that any physical altercation occurred, with her lawyer saying in a statement ‘This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her.’
Since the scandal broke, Raquel’s social media has been inundated with hate – and the star explained that the whole situation had been ‘a lot.’
‘I’ve kind of been off social media altogether,’ she shared, ‘But I guess there’s consequences to my actions. I wasn’t really thinking things through too much.’
This is the first time Raquel has addressed the affair, aside from a couple of statements released earlier this month.
On her Instagram, she wrote ‘There is no excuse, I am not a victim and must own my actions. I deeply regret hurting Ariana.’
‘I have been physically assaulted, lost friendships, received death threats and hate emails in addition to having had my privacy violated,’ she added. ‘I don’t expect sympathy, understanding or forgiveness. Right now, I must focus on my own health and well being. I will prioritise my mental health and learn from my mistakes.’
In another post shared the following day, the star added ‘Besides the indefensible circumstances surrounding our friendship, my feelings for Tom have always been sincere and born out of a loving friendship. I don’t want to predict what lies ahead. Right now, I ned to heal.’
The scandal is set to be discussed at the upcoming Pump Rules reunion.
Weekly episodes of Vanderpump Rules air exclusively on Hayu every Thursday, same day as the US