Putting herself first. Raquel Leviss opened up about being proud of her personal progress amid a public feud with Vanderpump Rules costar Katie Maloney.
“Here’s two versions of me … little Miss Femme Raquel that you’re probably familiar with, but more recently I’ve been trying not to take myself as seriously,” the former beauty pageant contestant, 28, captioned an Instagram video on Tuesday, November 1.
In the social media upload, Leviss danced in a pink dress on Halloween with her costar Tom Sandoval. The TomTom co-owner, 39, was channeling the California native in a hoodie promoting his restaurant, which Leviss wore during BravoCon last month.
“I’ve found my voice and I’m not afraid to lean into this new found ‘baddie’ Raquel,” the model continued in her lengthy post. “It’s easy for me to laugh at myself because I am so proud of how far I’ve come in my personal growth journey.”
She concluded: “I used to care so much what other people thought of me and now I just DGAF. Imma keep doing me and I’m so grateful for the people who inspire me to do exactly that.”
Leviss’ insight on her life comes after Maloney, 35, called her a “fan girl” for wearing the TomTom hoodie to the New York event. “Started as a fan of the show and now a fan of the tom’s,” the Utah native wrote in the comments section of a Bravo fan page late last month.
In response, Leviss addressed her decision to show support for Sandoval and Tom Schwartz.
“Just came here to say that the number one reason I wore this TomTom sweatshirt on Day 3 of BravoCon was for the comfy vibes,” she captioned an Instagram reel on Tuesday. “I also wore it to support BOTH of the Toms and encouraged people to stop by their booth to check out the rest of the cute merch. I really enjoy supporting my friends and being comfy at the same time. #SueMe #NumberOneTomStan #Season10.”
Earlier this year, Us Weekly confirmed that Leviss got cozy with Schwartz, 40, while filming season 10 of the hit Bravo series. “Apparently there was some heavy drinking involved. They made out,” a source exclusively told Us in August about the shocking moment at Scheana Shay and Brock Davies’ wedding. The insider noted that they heard “through the grapevine” that “more happened” between the duo.
Leviss and Schwartz’s short-lived connection came five months after the businessman announced his split from Maloney.
“Well this sucks,” the Minnesota native wrote via Instagram in March. “I’m not the victim. Not gonna write too sad a song. Fully respect Katie’s decision and we’ve had healthy, productive conversations about it. It would be far sadder if she decided to stay with me whilst not happy.”
He continued: “How am I supposed to capture 12 years of love in a f—king canned Instagram caption. I’m not quite ready to use the ‘D’ word [because] it’s too painful. We had some of the most blissful, romantic, fun times humanly possible over the course of our relationship. I’m talking heaven on earth level joy. She taught me so much about love & being a better partner.”
Maloney, who is currently dating Satchel Clendenin, previously admitted that she was inspired by Leviss to pull the plug on her marriage. “When [Raquel and James Kennedy] announced at the reunion that they had broken it up — it was a bit empowering because when you’re trying to figure out what to do and you see other people be strong and their convictions like that, you’re like, ‘All right, I can do it, I can do it,'” she told Us in April.
Meanwhile, Leviss confirmed the end of her engagement to Kennedy, 31, at the show’s season 9 reunion.
“I didn’t want to give up on him because he really has shown me how dedicated he is to me, and the things that he is willing to do to better himself,” she explained during the January episode. “But I feel like it is something deep within. I have been having nightmares about our wedding day, and I think that’s a telltale sign that something is wrong.”
