Rachel “Raquel” Leviss is not happy about ex Tom Sandoval commenting on her mental health.
The former Vanderpump Rules star, 29, slammed Sandoval, 40, for insinuating that they had discussed suicide in the aftermath of their affair, dubbed Scandoval, last year. Sandoval made the comments during a December 2023 appearance on the “Two Ts in a Pod” podcast, telling cohosts Tamra Judge and Teddi Mellencamp that he was at one point “on the phone with Rachel and literally debating on f–king killing ourselves.”
Leviss addressed the comment for the first time on the Monday, February 19, episode of her “Rachel Goes Rogue” podcast. “It is not OK for somebody else to tell other people that they have expressed feelings of not wanting to live anymore,” she told listeners, noting that she went into “really deep processing with my therapist” as a result.
She continued: “It was like, ‘Whoa, why are you talking about this personal information? That was privy to only your ears? This is a vulnerable topic, a vulnerable position for me to be sharing with you and you’re telling Teddi and Tamra and whoever else is listening to this popular podcast that I have had dark thoughts?’ But the way that he said it too, he made it seem like we had a suicide pact, like it was some sort of Romeo and Juliet love story. That really angered me.”
Leviss went on to note that Sandoval “crossed a boundary” by discussing “that personal, emotional, turmoil state of mind with the rest of the world.”
News broke in March 2023 that Sandoval had cheated on his girlfriend of nine years, Ariana Madix, with Leviss. One month later, Leviss checked into a mental health treatment facility for 90 days following backlash from VPR costars and fans. The former reality TV star later announced that would not return for season 11 of the Bravo series.
Sandoval, for his part, opened up about struggling with suicide ideation during a conversation with Lisa Vanderpump on the show’s February 13 episode. “If I f–king say I am sorry and I cry then it is [called] crocodile tears. I battled with suicide [thoughts]. Don’t tell me what I felt,’ he told her before elaborating on his feelings in a confessional.
“I was hanging on by a thread. The walls start closing and you can’t see past the hurt and the pain. You can’t dream about better days,” Sandoval stated. “I was getting to the point where I was like, ‘What is the f—king point?’”
Vanderpump, 63, proceeded to express her disappointment that Sandoval did not come to her for help, knowing that she lost her brother, Mark Vanderpump, to suicide in 2018. “Tom Sandoval assured me after the reunion when I called him from the car on the way home. I said, ‘You promise me Tom that if you ever have any thoughts like that …’ And he said, ‘I am not that person. I wouldn’t do that,’” she stated in a confessional. “So to hear him say he had those thoughts and he didn’t call me? That scares me the f–king daylights out of me.”
During Monday’s podcast, Leviss shared she was “happy” Bravo featured a suicide hotline disclaimed at the end of the episode. However, “I’m a little disappointed that they didn’t really treat me with that concern,” she added. “I’m just so grateful that I was able to get the mental health treatment and attention that I needed so desperately. That place really saved me and helped me to get out of this chaotic world.”
New episodes of Vanderpump Rules air on Bravo Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
