Credit: MICHAEL SIMON/startraksphoto.com/Cover Images, Faye’s Vision/Cover Images
Raquel Leviss opened up about her sordid affair with Tom Sandoval in the comments section of a video in which she was labeled “mad crazy” for the months-long relationship.
Nearly six months after the Vanderpump Rules alum, 28, was caught in her secret relationship with Sandoval, 40, who was in a nine-year relationship with her friend and castmate Ariana Madix, 38, at the time, Raquel responded to the clip, which gave a nod to comments she made on Bethenny Frankel‘s podcast days ago.
“When Bethenny asked Rachel, ‘How real was Tom and Ariana’s relationship,’ the first thing Rachel says is that she wouldn’t have been involved with Sandoval if she knew there was longevity to Tom and Ariana’s relationship,” noted Jared B, of Bravo Tea With Jared B.
“Now, to me, this is a weird thing to admit because she’s saying she knew this wasn’t a real relationship or a relationship that had legs so that’s why she decided to participate in this affair,” Jared continued. “So at this point, Rachel, you’re looking mad crazy because whether real or not, formally, they were in a relationship, despite the circumstances.”
According to Jared, she should’ve let Sandoval know that if they were going to continue with their tryst, he was going to have to break up with Ariana once and for all.
“If you wanted to be with Tom Sandoval so bad, you should’ve let him know that this tryst, this situation that was going on between you and him, goes no further until you know officially that they have broken up,” he stated.
And after his video was shared, Raquel offered her response, telling the host that he was “not wrong.”
“You’re not wrong! I should have had more self-respect than that and should have respected the relationship that Ariana had with Tom. No excuses,” she began.
But then she suggested she was pacified by Sandoval’s suggestion that he didn’t want to jeopardize the mental health of Ariana, whose dog and grandmother died last year amid their affair.
“However, looking back, I see I had low self-worth and Tom kept telling me he was actively breaking up with her ‘amicably’ for her ‘mental health,’ which I can now see was magical thinking,” she said. “He had a million and one reasons why they hadn’t broken up yet and it was easier to stay in that fantasy then to face the fact that the social anxiety and isolation was not worth it. So yes, absolutely you’re 100 [percent] right. It was MY responsibility to remove myself from that situation.”
Also in her post, Raquel, who spent two months getting mental health treatment after her affair with Sandoval was exposed, added, “Now I know better.”
Vanderpump Rules season 11 is currently in production and expected to begin airing later this year or in early 2024.