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Vanderpump Rules stars Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss' affair is only getting spicier, with new information being brought out almost every day.
Following accusations of a physical attack, Leviss had previously filed for a restraining order against fellow co-star Scheana Shay, who is best friends with Tom's former girlfriend Ariana Madix.
According to a report by TMZ, Raquel shared pictures of her bruised eye and a cut on her forehead, and alleged that Scheana punched her in the face. As per the outlet, the Vandepump Rules star claimed that she heard from her co-workers that her castmate wasn't feeling any regret for the physical harm caused to her and "would do it again if she found that further emotional distress was caused to our mutual friend."
On Friday, March 3, 2023, TMZ reported that Ariana had broken up with Tom Sandoval after she found out he had cheated on her with Raquel Leviss. She allegedly found an inappropriate video of Raquel on Sandoval's phone, causing the pair to split up. Fellow cast members of the Bravo show have also expressed their angst and have rallied around Ariana.
Vanderpump Rules star Raquel Leviss' court order against Scheana explored
For those unaware, Raquel and Scheana filmed for Watch What Happens Live (WWHL) with Andy Cohen earlier this month, where the former left several hints about the alleged affair. When Ariana found the video on her phone, she instantly called her best friend Scheana after the latter had wrapped filming and informed her about the issue.
While things seemed fine between Scheana and Raquel during filming, all hell broke loose after the former punched her co-star in the left eye and shoved her against a brick, as per TMZ. After Raquel shared pictures of her bruised eye with the outlet, she filed for a restraining order against Scheana on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the LA County Court.
Raquel's order was granted by the judge. TMZ reported that the Vanderpump Rules star also filed a report with the LAPD, mandating that Scheana will have to stay a minimum of 100 yards away from Raquel, her home, and her workplace. This development comes at an interesting point in time as the season 10 reunion is just around the corner.
Raquel had previously also sent a legal notice to fellow castmates, reportedly warning them not to share her intimate Facetime video with Tom Sandoval. A source told PEOPLE that Ariana had found the video and "recorded it and sent it to herself." The source further claimed that the video was recorded "illegally and without permission."
The legal notice ordered the Vanderump Rules cast members or people who had access to the video to delete it from their phones or "any other manner or method in which the recording may exist." Fellow co-stars, including Lala Kent, reacted to the notice. She asked Raquel and her "Mickey Mouse lawyer" to send it to her counsel and not to her personal email:
"You have something to send over, you can send it to my lawyer. That's why we have counsel, k? I don't want to deal. I have a life going on. I've got a little baby to take care of. I don't want to see that in the morning. I don't want to see that ever."
Raquel issues an apology to Vanderpump Rules castmate Ariana Madix
In a public apology shared with Entertainment Tonight, Raquel apologized for hurting Ariana. The duo were previously close friends and the former had attended almost all of Tom Sandoval's concerts with her castmate. The cheating scandal shook loyal fans of the show, who also took to social media to express their anger.
In her apology, Raquel said:
"I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships. There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana."
The Bravo star confessed to reflecting on her choices and meeting with a counselor to learn more about herself and her "patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved." She also stated as to how the relationships she'd pursued over time had negatively affected people around her and that she had prioritized her relationships over friendships.
Raquel, however, assured that she is in the process of understanding what went wrong and is "making healthier choices." The reality star further said:
"I have begun counseling to end my unhealthy behavioral cycle, learn to set stronger emotional boundaries and learn to protect my mental health. I don't expect sympathy, understanding or forgiveness. Right now I must focus on my own health and well-being and as I strive to be a better person moving forward, I will prioritize my mental health and learn from my mistakes."
Tom Sandoval had previously issued two public statements, one in which he addressed the issue and requested people not to let the news affect his partners, including Vanderpump Rules castmate Tom Schwartz, and employees at their LA bar Schwartz & Sandy's.
In another Instagram post on Wednesday, March 6, 2023, Tom Sandoval apologized to Ariana. He said:
"I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I've hurt through this process. Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana. I made mistakes, I was selfish and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly."
Expressing that his biggest regret was "dishonoring Ariana," Sandoval further said:
"My love for Ariana was stronger than any camera could ever have captured. Some of our best times together were never filmed. The same goes for some of our biggest struggles. I wish things happened in different order and our relationship was not severely tarnished and that it ended with the same respect with for her that it began with. I owed Ariana better."
Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules is currently on air and Bravo has revealed that they have resumed filming post the scandal was made public. Many current and former cast members, including Lala Kent, Katie Maloney, James Kennedy, Scheana Shay, Jax Taylor, and Kristen Doute have expressed their opinions and have supported Ariana throughout the ordeal.
