“Vanderpump Rules” alum Rachel “Raquel” Leviss shared that she missed her former castmates, with the exception of her ex-fiance, James Kennedy.
During the July 9 episode of her podcast, “Rachel Goes Rogue,” Leviss stated that she “miss[es] [her] friendships with all of them in a strange way.” As fans are aware, Leviss ceased filming for the series after its 10th season following her and Tom Sandoval‘s 2023 cheating scandal. Sandoval was in a nearly decade-long relationship with his now ex-girlfriend, Ariana Madix, during his affair with Leviss.
“I think I miss everyone except for James,” said Leviss.
Leviss said she particularly missed her “friendship with Scheana [Shay].” She stated that she enjoyed “just like traveling to San Diego and hanging out with her and her daughter [Summer Moon] and talking.”
Leviss also shared that she “even miss[es] Lala [Kent],” who she had a contentious relationship with throughout her five seasons on “Vanderpump Rules.”
“I miss Lala’s feisty energy. And thinking back on some of the interactions, like our most heated moments, I think that there’s part of me now that understands Lala a lot more after experiencing this entire scandal. And I have an appreciation for Lala,” said Leviss.
In addition, the 29-year-old stated that she appreciated Katie Maloney, despite their issues in “Vanderpump Rules” season 10.
“There was a moment for Katie and I back when James brought us all to Palm Springs for our surprise engagement. And Katie and I had a good moment in the pool. And that could have been a good friendship too. But I did not prioritize those friendships,” said Leviss.
Leviss also shared that “a part of [her] does miss being on ‘Vanderpump Rules.’”
“The part of me that got external validation from being on the show and feeling like I could control more of my own narrative. And that wasn’t going to be the healthiest option for me, so that is why I opted out,” explained Leviss.
Rachel Leviss Shared That She Has Difficulty Watching ‘Vanderpump Rules’
Entertainment Weekly reported that Leviss stated she had difficulty witnessing Shay and Madix’s scenes on “Vanderpump Rules” season 11 in a February 2024 episode of “Rachel Goes Rogue.”
“It is hard seeing Scheana and Ariana, two people that I did call friends,” said Leviss.
She also stated that she believes she has “a lot more resentment towards Scheana.” The publication reported that Leviss had a restraining order against Shay, which has been dismissed, following an alleged March 2023 physical altercation.
“I think the thorn for me is just seeing Scheana’s face. I’m working through that,” said Leviss.
Shay reacted to Leviss’ remark while speaking to Entertainment Weekly in February 2024.
“I hope she’s getting the help she needs, honestly,” said Shay.
She also stated that while she would not forgive Sandoval and Leviss, she “miss[ed] who [they] used to be to [her].”
“We used to have a great friendship. They were people I enjoyed going to music festivals with and had so much fun with, but I don’t see them as that same version of themselves anymore. But sure, it’s easy to miss who people used to be,” said Shay.
Scheana Shay Gave an Update on Where She Stands With Tom Sandoval & Ariana Madix
Throughout “Vanderpump Rules” season 11, Shay expressed having difficulty ending her friendship with Sandoval after his affair with Leviss. She explained that she felt she would lose her close relationship with Madix if she attempted to reconcile with Sandoval.
In the May 10 episode of her podcast, “Scheananigans with Scheana Shay,” Shay suggested she is not close to Sandoval or Madix following season 11.
“Right now, I don’t speak to either of them that much,” said Shay.
Us Weekly reported that Shay suggested she felt pressure from the show’s producers, specifically Alex Baskin, to rekindle her friendship with Sandoval in the May 30 “Scheananigans with Scheana Shay” episode.
“It was a whole season of feeling like we all kind of had to walk on eggshells. I know Alex Baskin has said that midseason, the show was not in a good place. It was, you know, ‘X, Y and Z needs to happen. Or we’re going to have a short season. And the show’s going to be canceled and that’s it. Go live your lives,’” said Shay.
According to Us Weekly, Baskin addressed Shay’s claims during a June 2024 “Vanderpump Rules” TV FYC Fest panel.
“We did get the entire cast together. And we thought we had hit a point in the season where I actually think that they were impacted by what was happening on social media,” said Baskin. “We basically were telling them to drown out the noise. And to make the show that they had made over the previous 10 seasons. And that didn’t mean we asked them to manufacture anything.”
