Bravo may have made a killing in the wake of “Scandoval,” even selling specialized merchandise for the widely watched “Vanderpump Rules” saga. But reality star Rachel (formerly Raquel) Leviss — the woman at the center of the cheating scandal that played out on the show — hasn’t “seen a penny” of those profits.
While explaining why she chose to go on Bethenny Frankel’s “Just B” podcast to tell her story, Leviss opened up about the financial impact of her much-discussed storyline. According to Leviss, she decided to reach out to Frankel after seeing the former “Real Housewives of New York” star’s TikToks about the exploitation and potential unionization of reality stars.
“I heard what you were saying on TikTok and using my case as an example of exploitation and the way that the network is running to the bank, like laughing running to the bank with this scandal. I haven’t seen a single penny,” Leviss said. “I feel like a toddler saying it’s not fair. But it really isn’t. And I feel like I’ve been portrayed as the ultimate villain. My mistakes that I made on camera live on forever.”
Leviss acknowledged at the top of the podcast that her mistakes negatively impacted her family and castmates, particularly Tom Sandoval’s girlfriend, Ariana Madix. “I do want to take a moment to acknowledge the hurt I brought to a lot of people. I was not careful in my actions and not thinking long-term,” said Leviss, who later stated that she still stood by the public apology to Madix that she issued back in March when the cheating was revealed.
Leviss entered a treatment facility immediately after taping the “Vanderpump Rules” Season 10 finale and stayed for three months. She explained to Frankel that through treatment she was able to understand why she was “choosing men who were unavailable” and finding herself in “unhealthy relationships.”
“That person that I saw watching back on my TV was someone who’s completely out of character from who I truly am,” Leviss said. “And so I feel like having this opportunity to share my side of the story and to represent myself in a way that I feel like is true to who I am is all I could ever ask for.”
Leviss and Frankel’s conversation then pivoted toward the exploitative nature of reality television, with Leviss revealing she considered returning for the next season of “Vanderpump Rules,” which is currently filming.
“You mentioned something about the addiction of doing reality TV and the way that they always dangle that carrot in front of you, like, ‘Well, you need to tell your side of the story otherwise it’s gonna be written for you.’ And that’s terrifying. So I almost went back… just because of that,” Leviss said.
Leviss also downplayed the narrative that she and Madix were “best friends” and said the storylines on “Vanderpump Rules” were “not all factual,” including the relationship between Madix and Sandoval.
“I would not be involved in this affair/secrecy type of situation if I thought that there was longevity in this relationship between Tom and Ariana. The people closest to them could see that their relationship hasn’t been what they portray on camera. And Tom always told me like, they’re a brand. They’re an image. They work together to make brand deals, and they are business partners.”
As previously mentioned, Season 11 of “Vanderpump Rules” is in production and includes Madix and Sandoval, although Madix made it clear during the reunion that she would never speak to Sandoval again.
Meanwhile, Frankel continues on her quest to combat the exploitation of reality TV stars emotionally and financially, enlisting the help of lawyers to investigate past instances of mistreatment and to seek better pay and residuals.
Bravo had no comment on Leviss and Frankel’s interview.
