Photo: Andrew J Cunningham/Getty; Cindy Ord/Bravo via Getty
Rachel “Raquel” Levissis burning birthday candles — and bridges, apparently — as she turns 29.
As theVanderpump Rulesalum marks another turn around the sun, she has signaled on Instagram Story that she’s blocked former loverTom Sandoval.
Leviss has been making big changes in her life six months after Bravo’sScandovalignited when news of her hermonths-long affairwith Sandoval — who was costarAriana Madix’s then-boyfriend of nine years—became public knowledge.
Aftergoing back to using her birth name of Rachelin mid-August, the former pageant contender also updated her Instagram bio recently to read: “Becoming a better person… one day at a time.” She also deleted herinitial mea culpato Madix, 38, from early March last month — seemingly representing her desire to start a new chapter after completing a90-day stay in a mental health counseling facility.
Two days before her birthday, Leviss posted a video of herself in bucolic setting onInstagram, captioning it: “I’ve been dreaming of a place like this 🌻 #flowerfarm #flowerarranging”
Sandoval, 41, commented on the post Monday, writing: “Happy Birthday, Rachel, I really hope ur finding peace and happiness. Miss u friend.”
Rachel Leviss/Instagram
Not long after, the birthday girl posted an Instagram Story with a screenshot of her Sandoval’s Instagram account, which she had blocked.
Five months ago, Leviss — whowill not returnforseason 11 ofVPR—shared in a statement: “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,” she said in part. “I am reflecting on my choices, speaking to a counselor and I am learning things about myself such as my patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved. I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy without regard for my own well-being, sometimes negatively affecting others and often prioritizing the intimate connection over my friendships.”
Leviss said she was “taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices.”
On Monday, after posting the screenshot showing she cut ties from her former costar, she shared another, much happier, image from her trip to the flower farm.
“Thank you for the bday wishes,” she wrote, adding with a sparkle emoji.
Back in April, the former SUR waitress checked in for “mental health and trauma therapy.”
In her first interview since leaving treatment, the Bravo staroffered new insighton how her view of Sandoval and Madix’s relationship played into her decision to fall into the affair.
“I would not be involved in this affair secrecy type of situation if I thought there was longevity in this relationship between Tom and Ariana,” she said onBethenny Frankel’sJust Bpodcast.
“The people closest to them could see that their relationship hasn’t been what they portray on camera,” she said, “and Tom always told me they’re a brand, they’re an image, they work together to make brand deals and they are business partners. They’re a duo on the show and they utilize that for the success of their brand or image.”
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Still, Leviss admitted has“a lot” of regretsand “would do everything differently if I had the chance to go back.”
“I really just wanna acknowledge that a lot of people were believing in me and I feel like I was a disappointment to those people,” she told Frankel, 52. “I know that there was a lot of trust that was broken between friendships and betrayal that happened.”
She added, “I look back at my actions and I’m disappointed in myself as well. That is not the person that I want to be. I wasn’t happy. I was really hurting.”
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Vanderpump Rulescan be streamed in full on Peacock.
source: people.com
