Tom Sandoval apparently has a lot of thoughts about Rachel “Raquel” Leviss’ departure from Vanderpump Rules and her new podcast — and don’t worry, Bravo fans, because he’s voicing them.
“If you don’t want to do the show and you want to go away and you want to distance yourself, then, like, go do that,” Sandoval, 41, said during the Vanderpump Rules After Show on Tuesday, January 30. “Don’t start a podcast if you’re going to sit there and talk about it all the time.”
The VPR star was asked how he felt about Leviss’ departure from the reality show.
“To each his own,” Sandoval said. “Everybody on every Bravo show is going through things at any given moment. But the cameras keep rolling because that’s what we do. They capture those tough times and the great times but also the tough times.”
Leviss departed the Pump Rules cast ahead of season 11 after a months-long affair with Sandoval at the tail end of his nine-year relationship with Ariana Madix.
The affair was revealed during VPR’s landmark 10th season. For those who missed it, filming on VPR had come to an end, but the cameras picked back up in March 2023 after news broke that Sandoval had cheated on Madix, 38, with Leviss, 29.
When the episodes finally aired in May 2023, viewers watched as the breakup between Sandoval and Madix — who are still sharing their joint home — unfolded. Another jaw-dropping, albeit awkward, moment in the season 10 finale showed Leviss and Sandoval cozying up and sharing “I love yous” after discussing the harm caused by the infidelity.
While Sandoval has since returned to VPR, Leviss entered a mental health facility for two months before making her decision to step back from Bravo.
Following her stint as a reality star — Leviss made her VPR debut during season 5 in 2016 — the former pageant queen launched her “Rachel Goes Rogue” podcast earlier this year. Her podcast episodes thus far have featured lengthy discussions about VPR.
During the episode released on January 25, Leviss revealed how she and Sandoval planned to reveal their relationship following his split from Madix.
“He was saying, ‘Look, people hated Ariana in the beginning, and then they realized we were sticking together,’” she claimed. “We weren’t going anywhere, and so they had to accept it and they ended up loving her, and it could be the same for us.”
She added, “I think I was just naive and wishful thinking that this could work out the way I wanted it to, because ultimately, at that time, I did want to be with him. I was hoping for the best, I guess.”
