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Vanderpump Rules has been the subject of much scrutiny ever since the news of Raquel (Rachel) Leviss' months-long affair with Tom Sandoval came to light earlier this year. Tom Sandoval, who was dating Ariana Madix for almost a decade, cheated on her with one of Ariana's best friends, Raquel.
While the two of them have received their fair share of backlash in the months that followed, from cast and fans alike, after filming the season 10 reunion, Raquel promptly went off the grid. Later reports of her checking into a mental health facility came out, which put a question mark on her future on the Bravo show.
While Tom has been out and about, Raquel was only recently spotted for the first time since the reunion and on August 16, 2023, she decided to speak her truth while in conversation with Bravo's Bethenny Frankel.
Fans took to social media to react to her side of the story, and unlike before, when almost everyone was against the former cast member, the tide seems to have turned. While there are still several fans who believe that she hasn't learned anything, there are also others who are rooting for her. They called the interview "painful."
Vanderpump Rules fans react to Raquel Leviss' recent interview
The other half of the "Scandoval," who had been living away from the spotlight since news of their affair broke out, has finally opened up about her side of things. Rachel (or Raquel) Leviss, recently sat down with Bethenny Frankel and opened up about her affair with Tom Sandoval.
During the interview, she noted that one of the reasons why she wanted to spend time away from the spotlight was because things had become extremely chaotic and loud. However, Raquel noted that she also wanted to understand her own behavior, and her goal was to get to the bottom of things.
"Why am I choosing men that are unavailable? Why do I keep finding myself in unhealthy relationships? What are the things that I need to change about my behavior?’ And in knowing that I needed to make a change, I first had to know what it was that leads to those behaviors."
The Vanderpump Rules star noted that it took her a while to accept things but added that during her time away, she learned about "love addiction," which is when one confuses "intensity for intimacy." She added that the chemical changes in the case of love addiction are quite similar to the changes that take place when one consumes drugs. Raquel explained that while it doesn't excuse her behavior, it explains why she couldn't stop seeing Tom Sandoval.
During the segment, Raquel further opened up about being on the Bravo show and noted that she felt like a "punching bad." She called reality television "edited" and noted that what is ultimately shown onscreen is oftentimes not factual. She further opened up about the massive increase in the show's ratings since the affair and noted that she hasn't seen a single penny and called it unfair.
"I feel like I’ve been portrayed as the ultimate villain. My mistakes that I’ve made on camera live on forever."
The Vanderpump Rules season 10's cast member left fans divided. Some were in favor of her and noted that she's been working on herself.
Others continued to slam the Vanderpump Rules cast member.
Epsiodes of Vanderpump Rules can be streamed on Peacock.
