Vanderpump Rules’ Raquel Leviss and James Kennedy’s Relationship Timeline: The Way They Were

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Vanderpump Rules' Raquel Leviss and James Kennedy's Relationship Timeline: The Way They Were

What once was. After James Kennedy spent three seasons caught up between Kristen Doute and newcomer Lala Kent, many Vanderpump Rules fans were shocked when he introduced his serious girlfriend Raquel Leviss in 2016. The twosome quickly had their relationship put to the test amid multiple resurfaced cheating allegations. After a SUR employee accused Kennedy of sleeping with her while he was in a relationship, the professional DJ opened up about having Leviss stand by him during the Bravo series. "Obviously, I understand all the rumors and drama and everything that's happened on the show. You know we've basically gone through it together and I felt like these girls went to the end of the Earth to try and ruin my relationship," he told Bravo about the claims that he was unfaithful in March 2017. "But we've stuck through everything and we love each other. But that's what makes relationships stronger is going through hard times and good times." Kennedy and Leviss' romance continued to face its challenges as the U.K. native attempted to get sober. In July 2020, the reality star celebrated one year of sobriety and credited Leviss with helping him reach the milestone. "Letting go of drinking was the best decision I ever made and I’m going strong," he wrote via Instagram at the time. "I don’t miss the booze ...... I don’t miss the feeling .... I’m so grateful for everything now and life has become more beautiful in many ways. Thank you to my rock @raquelleviss for getting me here I couldn’t of done this without you my love." [jwplayer YpWmxLiE-zhNYySv2] As filming started for season 9 of Vanderpump Rules, the couple announced that they had gotten engaged with a Coachella-themed proposal in May 2021. One month later, Lisa Vanderpump discussed how the pair have grown over the years. "[Raquel] is the best thing that ever happened to him," the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum shared during an interview with Entertainment Tonight in June 2021, one month after filming began. "You really do see Raquel kind of blossoming, blooming. You see her really having a voice. She was very much, like, a deer caught in the headlights before, but now she's, like, actually kind of really comes out of a shell." Two months after their proposal aired on VPR in October 2021, the former pageant contestant and the musician took to social media to confirm the end of their engagement. "After these 5 wonderful years we had together, we decided we have two different goals and made the decision to call off the engagement," the exes wrote in identical Instagram statements in December 2021. "We love each other very much, but we aren’t in love anymore. We want nothing but the best for each other so please keep any thoughts positive. Sending Love." Scroll down for a look back at Kennedy and Leviss' romance: [podcast_block]

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First Meeting

The duo originally met during a New Year's Eve party in 2016. They made their relationship Instagram official one month later when they celebrated Valentine's Day together.

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'Vanderpump Rules' Appearance

The former kinesiology student appeared in her first episode of Vanderpump Rules during the season 5 premiere. The November 2016 debut marked one of five episodes that Leviss would appear in that season.

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Facing the Cheating Rumors

During a January 2017 episode of VPR, Leviss was approached by several SUR waitresses who claimed that they had slept with Kennedy in the past.

"I was so surprised to see GG and Ellie there, honestly," the California native told the Daily Dish about the confrontation. "Why are you here? To harass us? I don't deal with drama well ... Once GG gave that slap, I was outta there."

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The Big Move

The Bravo couple moved in together in November 2018.

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Dealing With More Allegations

Kennedy and Leviss were rocked with more cheating allegations when Doute's friend Hope approached the model at SUR during a December 2018 episode. Leviss once again sided with her boyfriend, which Kent later told Us Weekly made the couple "a match made in heaven."

"I don’t know that I feel badly for her anymore because … it’s like seeing the murder scene and still needing more evidence. It’s like, ‘[OK] girl, I can’t even deal.’ Like, you’re killing my brain cells at this point, and I don’t have a lot of those to lose," the Give Them Lala author said at the time, adding that Kennedy loves Leviss "because he can get away with everything."

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Planning for the Future

During an interview with Us in June 2019, Kennedy admitted that he could see himself proposing to his girlfriend soon.

“You know, I don't like rushing that cause we’re, like, 10 years younger than everyone else on the show, but I love her so much," he gushed. “Me and Raquel are super great. We're super happy together. She’s the love of my life. I love her.”

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The Next Step

"THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, said yes. 💍 💕," Kennedy wrote alongside a photo of him taking a selfie kissing his bride-to-be in May 2021. Leviss shared her own post about the weekend in Palm Springs, writing, "James proposed at the iconic Empire Polo Fields of “RACHELLA” Friday night... and I said YES! I’m over the Coachella moon ✨🌵🌙 #RACHELLA."

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Stuck in the Middle

As the former SUR busser found himself at odds with most of his coworkers, a source told Us in March 2020 that his girlfriend "is feeling a lot of pressure to side with the girls because she knows how James’ behavior can be and because she's new to SUR."

According to the insider, “Raquel wishes James would show the side of himself that she gets one-on-one more.”

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Calling It Quits

One day after the season 9 reunion for Vanderpump Rules was filmed in December 2021, the exes announced their decision to part ways. A source told Us at the time that “James and Raquel [will] discuss their split” during the reunion special.

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A Fresh Start

The Sonoma State University alum documented her packing process shortly after her breakup. In several Instagram Story videos, Leviss showed a U-Haul full of boxes that were taken to a storage unit.

“As my dad says … my new home,” she captioned a boomerang clip of her closing the door on her storage area. 

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What Went Wrong?

The duo's relationship was "tumultuous" before they called it quits, a source exclusively told Us in December 2021. "They both want different things," the insider added. "They don't have love anymore in terms of a romantic relationship, but they still have love for each other as friends. ... They're really trying to figure out what their lives look like now that they've split. They have a lot of admiration and respect for each other."

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More ‘Vanderpump Rules’?

“James does want Raquel to continue with the show,” a source exclusively told Us in December 2021 after the couple called it quits. The insider added that "Bravo hasn't made an official decision on next season,” but Kennedy is fine with Leviss being part of the cast moving forward.

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When the Romance Was Really Over

Leviss revealed during a January 2022 appearance on the “Scheananigans” podcast that while the pair didn’t split until December 2021, she knew things were done on Thanksgiving of that year.

“It was kind of at Thanksgiving where I realized that I didn’t want to be in this relationship anymore,” she said, noting that an argument between Kennedy and her dad over the holiday gave her clarity. “The future of Thanksgivings and Christmases and holidays was looking like it was going to be either James or my family. Especially, like, if we had a baby, James would make my parents out as, like, the not good grandparents and kind of put that in their heads. Foreseeing this future and what it was all coming down to, [I realized] I don’t want that.”

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Season 9 Reunion Bombshells

"We haven't been having sex for a while. It has been since those rage texts that James sent me [in 2019]," Leviss told her shocked costars during the Bravo reunion, which aired in January 2022. "When [the engagement happened], we were passionately — we were in love with each other."

The British TV star got honest about the end of their relationship during the special, adding, "This is not a product of me f--king up my life. This is a product of the truth. The second she said, 'We are not soulmates.' For me, that was a f--king enlightenment. I realized that we loved each other but we are not in love with each other anymore.”

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Unengagement Party

Leviss raised eyebrows when she celebrated the end of her relationship with an “unengagement party” while watching the show’s season 9 reunion special with pals in January 2022. “Penis straws ftw #unengagementparty,” the TV personality wrote via Instagram alongside a snap enjoying her night with friends.

Some fans, however, took issue with Leviss throwing a bash for something that should stay “private,” which only got the reality star more fired up.

“But it actually is the furthest thing from private … there’s no way in hell I’m going to watch this emotional reunion without my closest friends,” the California native replied to one fan wondering why she made the party, which featured her smashing an engagement ring balloon, so public. “And after seeing how quickly James has moved on, I think I’m allowed the freedom to act on whatever my heart desires.”

She added: “I’m no longer taking into account other people’s concerns before my own. Those days are dead and gone. Hello 2022.”

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Moving On

During an interview with Us, the professional DJ offered an update on where he stands with his ex-girlfriend. "Raquel is doing her own thing. She looks great and I'm happy for her whatever she's doing. I don't know though. I don't talk to her very much," he shared at the time.

The California native, for her part, revealed that she has met Kennedy's girlfriend.

"She's very sweet. I actually really like her. I see a lot of me in her," she shared, adding that fans will see their talk in season 10. "I didn't give her, like, straight-up advice [about James]. I let her know how I felt in that relationship. There's a lot of things that she loves about James, that I loved about him too, like how funny he is, how charismatic, how passionate and hardworking he is. I feel like she's learning a lot from him and a lot from that relationship and I did too. So I'm wishing them the best."

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Subtle Support

In November 2022, Leviss shared an Instagram Story promoting her former fiancé's new music. "Feelin this song," she captioned the social media post.

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Not Holding Back

Leviss was not shy about saying how she felt following her split from Kennedy throughout season 10 of Pump Rules. During the February 2023 premiere, she revealed she had not spoken to her ex until she had a brief run-in with him one year prior.

“I went over to say hello, he introduced me to Ally. And then I ran away,” she recalled. “I don't know anything about James's new girlfriend, except for the fact that she looks exactly like his mom. He’s got some real mommy issues.”

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Not at Her Best

During a February 2023 episode of the Bravo hit, the California native admitted she had “low self-esteem” while she was dating Kennedy and alleged she’s worried for his new flame.

“I just hope she doesn't suffer from low self-esteem like I did," she said. "Some of the stuff that I tolerated I think back, and I am like, 'What the f—k was I thinking?' … I gave up my own emotional needs to make sure that James' needs were always met. It's not like I cured him [because] he still has his temper and his outbursts. I think Ally is going to be in for a rude awakening."

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Getting Closure?

James quipped during a February 2023 episode that he missed his dog more than he missed Leviss. The model, for her part, called out her ex for not being honest during their relationship, saying it was “was built on a foundation of lies.”

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Getting Even

Raquel clapped back after James claimed in a March 2023 episode of Vanderpump Rules that she "doesn't suck d--k" often. In response, the California native noted on WWHL that she "just doesn't suck James Kennedy's d--k."