Making a federal case. Raquel Leviss‘ family contacted the FBI over death threats she received amid the backlash to her affair with Tom Sandoval.
A rep for the former pageant queen, 28, confirmed the news to Us Weekly on Friday, May 26, explaining that the reality star and her family “have been on the receiving end of violent and graphic death threats both online and over the phone.” Some of these threats were sent via social media, with one sender allegedly writing that they wanted to leave Leviss “un-alive and dump the body.”
The FBI, meanwhile, declined to confirm whether the Vanderpump Rules star or her family had been in contact with the agency. “FBI neither confirms nor denies investigations,” a spokesperson for the organization told TMZ. “Obviously, we review all allegations reported to us and encourage anyone who believes their life is in imminent danger to call 911.”
Leviss has been the target of public ire since news broke that she and Sandoval, 40, had been having an affair since last year. On March 3, Us confirmed that the TomTom co-owner and longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix called it quits over the infidelity after nine years together.
Shortly after the affair was made public, Leviss filed a temporary restraining order against Scheana Shay, claiming that the “Good as Gold” songstress, 38, physically attacked her after they taped Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.
“This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Raquel, period,” Shay’s lawyer Neama Rahmani exclusively told Us in a statement after Leviss’ court filing. “The supposed dark markings around her left eye have been there for months.”
Leviss later dropped the restraining order but not until after the reunion taped on March 23, meaning that she and Shay couldn’t be in the same room at the same time. As Pump Rules viewers saw during part 1 on Wednesday, May 24, Bravo producers solved the problem by having Leviss watch from a trailer while Shay was interviewed with the rest of the cast.
According to teasers for parts 2 and 3, Leviss will replace the “Scheananigans” podcast host in later group segments. Host Andy Cohen also conducted individual interviews with Leviss, Sandoval and Madix, 37, in a first for Bravo reunions.
Last month, Leviss checked herself into a mental health facility in the aftermath of the scandal. A rep for the California native confirmed to Us in April that the Bravo star was in rehab, noting that she was not undergoing treatment for substance abuse issues.
“Raquel and her family decided before the relationship was discovered that she would enter a voluntary facility for mental health counseling,” read a statement from the spokesperson. “Raquel had planned to admit herself before the VPR reunion was taped on March 23. She was scheduled to go in pre-reunion but decided she wanted to finish her filming commitment. Bravo and production were aware and in support of her journey towards better mental health.”
