Raquel Leviss Thinks Tom Sandoval Masterminded 'Vanderpump Rules' Cheating Scandal

Rachel "Raquel" Leviss is reflecting on the authenticity of her connection with Tom Sandoval, contemplating whether their tumultuous months-long affair, which brought an end to his nine-year relationship with Ariana Madix, was merely for the Vanderpump Rules audience. Speculations arose as Leviss delved into this on the latest episode of her podcast, Rachel Goes Rogue, wondering if Sandoval used their relationship as a means to maintain relevance in the public eye, as reported by E! News. She said, "The thought has crossed my mind, like, 'Did Tom mastermind this?' He is known to self-produce, and all he has is this show, and the success of this show equals longevity in his career."

She added, "He's over 40 now, and this is his life. This is his main income." According to People, Leviss also stated, “I definitely didn't mastermind this [affair]. I think I fell into this situation and just didn't know how to handle it." The ex-pageant queen openly acknowledged that she and her partner had engaged in conversations about the portrayal of their relationship on the screen. She recalled, “When we did have conversations like, ‘How is this going to play out?’ He said, ‘One of the pros is we can be together next season.' And so, not to say he’s the mastermind behind it. I think he had his motivation behind it that really escalated the situation. Whereas if it wasn’t a reality TV show and we weren’t all filming, I don’t know if it would be like this.”

In response to the inquiry about the potential longevity of her connection with Sandoval, Leviss disclosed that, through intensive therapy, she realized that her involvement with him was an attempt to heal a deep-seated childhood wound. She said, “Oh my God, my inner child chose Tom—this 40-year-old? Like, no! I’m like, ‘No, honey!’” Once news of the affair spread, Leviss mentioned that she observed a changed aspect of Sandoval, going as far as drawing comparisons between him and her former fiancé James Kennedy, with whom she parted ways in 2021.

She said, "A lot of his character came forward, and, ugh, the way that he would talk to my parents, it just seemed like a James 2.0 situation, and I won't allow that in my relationships anymore.” Contrary to her recent statements, Sandoval has recently unveiled that his relationship with Leviss was far beyond a mere fling. He said, "It's heartbreaking to go through. I was fully in love with her. She's not just some hot girl. I was a model for 15 years, it's deeper than that." Meanwhile, in an earlier episode of Rachel Goes Rogue, Leviss wondered about Sandoval's motives for building a closer, more intimate connection with her while she was still dealing with the aftermath of her broken engagement to Kennedy.

She said, “He knew I was going through this heartbreak, and I’ve heard him say on his interviews, ‘Oh, Raquel really was coming into her own.’ And that’s what attracted him to me." She added, "I’m like, 'You a--hole. You could have just let me be. Like, let me live. Why can’t you cheer me on as a friend?'" Moreover, when the affair came to light, the filming for the season had already concluded. However, cameras were swiftly restarted to capture the aftermath of the scandal. According to Screenrant reports, during the Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion, Leviss and Sandoval presented a united front, promptly defending each other.