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Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Shay finally broke her silence after co-star Raquel Leviss claimed she was physically assaulted by the former over Raquel's affair with Tom Sandoval. Scheana denied punching Raquel during their alleged confrontation after filming Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live (WWHL) on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
In a statement by Scheana's lawyer to US Weekly on Thursday, March 9, 2023, it stated:
“This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Raquel, period. The supposed dark markings around her left eye have been there for months.”
The statement continued to say that neither the Good as Gold singer nor fellow Vanderpump Rules cast members had anything to do with Raquel from now on. It also stated that the judge only heard one side of the story and that they "look forward to presenting the full and true story at the March 29 hearing.”
On Friday, March 3, 2023, the news broke that Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix had broken up with her boyfriend of 9 years, Tom Sandoval. The break-up reportedly came after his alleged seven-month-long affair with Raquel Leviss. Ariana found an inappropriate video of Raquel on her former boyfriend's phone, which led to the split.
Timeline of Vanderpump Rules star Scheana and Raquel's friendship explored
Scheana Shay is an OG cast member of Vanderpump Rules. She quickly built a friendship with Raquel Leviss when the latter joined the Bravo show in season five (2016). Raquel became a recurring and eventually mainstream member of the series and was known for her tumultuous relationship with ex-fiance James Kennedy.
Raquel even got a job at SUR alongside Scheana, which helped the two bond further. The two were also spotted together off-screen at several parties, events, and gatherings. Raquel even documented her co-star's pregnancy journey by the end of 2020 actively on social media.
In 2022, Scheana asked fellow Vanderpump Rules cast member Katie Maloney if her ex-husband Tom Schwartz and Raquel could form a connection. Shay claimed that her castmate was okay with the idea but eventually blamed her for pushing the idea of Raquel and Schwartz together.
This led to a feud and a long back and forth between Scheana and Katie on Instagram, where the former claimed that the latter initially had no qualms about the issue. Meanwhile, Katie claimed that she later expressed her concern for the same. However, things came to a boiling point after Raquel and Schwartz made out at Scheana and Brock Davies' wedding.
This was also documented in Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules. However, Scheana defended her decision and stood by Raquel throughout the issue.
In an interview with US Weekly in March 2023, Raquel said that she believed Katie focused her anger and took it out on Shay, who was like a scapegoat in the whole issue. She continued to say that while Katie didn't focus a lot of her energy on Schwartz, it was what he said that made Katie so upset.
However, all hell broke loose in their friendship when Raquel's affair with Tom Sandoval became public. The latter's now-former girlfriend Ariana Madix, who has been best friends with Scheana, was devastated at the loss of her 9-year-long relationship. After Scheana heard the news following the taping of WWHL an alleged physical confrontation took place between her and Raquel.
Raquel then filed an order of protection on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, against Scheana, alleging physical assault, which was granted by the court. Scheana was ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from her Vanderpump Rules co-star. Raquel also shared pictures with TMZ the following day of her bruised eye.
Scheana's lawyer, Neama Rahmani, released a statement to US Weekly on Thursday, March 9, 2023. The statement said that the star never punched Raquel and that it was a case of "fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her."
Lisa Vanderpump recently made her appearance on WWHL on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, and opened up about the alleged physical altercation. She said:
“Yeah, I think she did. I think she slapped her around the chops. But you know what, her feelings would be running really high because Ariana was her best friend for like 12 years.”
Since news of the affair broke, the Vanderpump Rules cast and loyal fans have been showering support for Ariana. Scheana has also rallied around her best friend and that is evident from the social media posts the star has made recently. Fellow cast members, including Lala Kent, James Kennedy, Katie Maloney, Kristen Doute and Stassi Schroeder, have also shown their support.
Both Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss have issud public apologies.
