Vanderpump Rules' Raquel Leviss Leaves Her Own Podcast

When Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix ended their relationship after nine years, everyone pointed the finger at Rachel Leviss. Rachel was revealed to be the woman Tom cheated on Ariana with. This led the public to turn against Rachel, and the whole controversy, dubbed "Scandoval," played out in Vanderpump Rules.

The storyline was a dream for fans of reality television. However, for Rachel herself, it was more of a nightmare. She decided to make a new move in an attempt to repair her public image.

Rachel began her podcast Rachel Goes Rogue in January 2024. However, less than a year after starting her podcast, Rachel announced she would be stepping away from it. The move came after Rachel revealed she was in a new relationship. Unlike her previous relationships, this new man has been kept largely under wraps.

Rachel Left Her 'Rachel Goes Rogue' Podcast Less Than A Year After Starting It

Rachel “Raquel” Leviss confirmed during an episode of her Rachel Goes Rogue podcast that she would be leaving the show less than a year after starting it. The move comes after Rachel said she plans to move onto a “more balanced and healthier life.”

“I’ve made the decision to take both feet out of the Vanderpump Rules universe and focus on myself, focus on my life, my healing,” she claimed. “I have decided to walk away from continuing the podcast, because I would like to move on from having one foot in the door of Vanderpump Rules and one foot out.”

The Vanderpump Rules star said that she is instead “choosing a life that is fully aligned” with her values and who she wants “to show up as every single day.” The episode also featured an in-depth conversation with Psychologist Dr. Hillary Goldsher.

“I’ll be focusing on myself, my healing, and a new relationship that I’m in,” Rachel said. Despite the teasing, Rachel wouldn’t reveal the identity of her new partner. Instead, she simply stated she wants to keep it “sacred.”

“I am in a new relationship, and it’s very healthy, and he’s very normal,” she said.

Rachel called it “such an accomplishment” to be dating a person who is “normal” after her affair with Tom Sandoval and her engagement to James Kennedy. “He’s just such a supportive person, and I just feel really happy,” she raved.

Rachel first announced that she was launching her podcast in November 2023. At the time, Rachel said that the show would “explore a spectrum of topics, mastering self-empowerment and navigating life’s challenges with grace and authenticity.”

During the episode, Rachel reflects on how Rachel Goes Rogue has evolved over the last ten months. “At first, it was kind of, like, me defending myself, and then it turned into something more of me giving the things that I’ve learned through my recovery experience and sharing that with other people, so that they can take the things that serve them and hopefully choose something healthier and better in their lives,” she said.

Rachel also thanked her listeners and said the experience was “so rewarding.” “I’m also really proud of choosing now to end the podcast and to move on, as well, I think that’s a huge decision,” she said. “It really is a huge full circle moment for me.”

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At the end of the episode, Rachel gave herself a pat on the back for “staying true” to herself and choosing a path “that is unknown and tak[ing] a risk.” The first episode of the podcast dropped in January 2024, and Rachel quickly began talking about her controversial affair with Tom. Rachel slammed Tom for “really trying to milk the victim role to make himself look better” and accused him of “playing the offensive.”

Rachel Filed A Lawsuit Against Her Former Co-Stars In The Wake Of 'Scandoval'

In March 2023, Tom and Ariana Madix ended their nine-year relationship. This came after rumors that he cheated on Ariana with Rachel. The controversy was dubbed "Scandoval" and the entire storyline played out during Vanderpump Rules.

The entire scandal led to Rachel suing both Tom and Ariana, where she sought damages for eavesdropping, revenge porn, invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress.

"Leviss was a victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man, who recorded sexually explicit videos of her without her knowledge or consent, which were then distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a scorned woman seeking vengeance, catalyzing the scandal," the lawsuit reads.

During the show, it was revealed that Ariana discovered Tom was cheating with Rachel after she watched a FaceTime call between them. According to Rachel, this was allegedly recorded without her consent. The lawsuit further claims that Ariana found out about the affair after seeing "sexually explicit videos" of her on Tom's phone.

"Leviss is informed and believes, and on such information and belief alleges, that the explicit videos were recorded by Sandoval without her knowledge or consent in or around February 2023," the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges that Ariana obtained "at least" two of these videos and "distributed them and/or showed them to others without Leviss' knowledge or consent." Rachel also claimed she was "misled" by the Bravo network and production company to think she couldn't speak out about the affair.

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"‘Scandoval’ injected new life into a previously faltering series, causing its viewership to explode to unseen levels and making its cast members mega-celebrities. Due to a narrative deliberately fomented by Bravo, Evolution, and the cast, Leviss became an object of public scorn and ridicule," the lawsuit reads.

Rachel Is Now Rumored To Be Dating A Rocket Scientist

Following the scandal, Rachel decided to dive deep into her Rachel Goes Rogue podcast. The majority of the episodes saw Rachel discussing her role in Scandoval and how she was misunderstood as a result. The point of the podcast seemed to be clearing up public misconceptions and improving her public image. However, Rachel also took time to reflect and own up to her own mistakes.

However, now that she has put an end to the podcast, Rachel says she is focused on new friendships. According to the reality star, these friendships were built on a foundation of honesty. It is also important that emotions be shared in an open and healthy way.

"It was kinda scary just... starting over and forming new friendships and really putting myself out there," Rachel said. "But one thing that I've discovered with that is it's like night and day when you have friends that want to hear how you're feeling and want to get to know you for you and are loving and accepting and aren't going to react in a way that is going to minimize you as a person."

"It's very disturbing to me that that was my normal, those types of friendships and the way that we would interact with each other. Because that's not actually healthy, but it was my normal to me," she added. "And not to place blame on anyone else, because I'm aware of how I am as a person and how I end up becoming more like the people I surround myself with. But now I know better to choose people I really do admire for the values that I wanna be more alike."

Another aspect of these new relationships involves a romantic interest. This new relationship is playing out in a very different way compared to previous ones. This particular relationship is being kept private, away from reality show cameras. Even though Rachel wouldn't reveal his identity, she gushed about her new man during her final episode.

"The reason why I'm choosing to share it with you guys now, with the permission of my significant other, is because it is a success story, and there is hope for the people that are listening who are struggling with relationships and really can't quite see the light at the end of the tunnel yet," Rachel said. "When you do course correct and choose a different lifestyle for yourself and prioritize different things in your life and put all that energy back into yourself, then you really will begin to attract a different caliber of person."

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According to People, a source claimed that Rachel's new man is a rocket engineer. "They met through mutual friends and just hit it off," the source told the outlet. "He's an incredible guy. Really smart and kind and down to earth and, most importantly, disinterested in social media. He’s not even on social media. So his priorities are really in the right place."