Big news, everyone! Raquel Leviss is apparently capable of displaying human emotion after all.
Tonight’s supersized conclusion of the Vanderpump Rules Season 10 reunion saw the first face-off between Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval, and Leviss. It was an A+ performance for Madix, who fired off more seering insults than I could keep track of—including some shade at adult Harry Potter fans. (Sorry, but I loved it!) Sandoval double-downed on being gross and did a lot of fake crying. To her credit—if she has any left at this point—Leviss showed about 20 times more remorse than Sandoval in her 30-minute stint than he did during all three parts of the reunion. And Lisa Vanderpump wouldn’t stop interjecting!
But first, let’s get into the “big reveal” that executive producer Alex Baskin and Andy Cohen have been tormenting us about for weeks. It was ultimately less of a true bombshell, rather some clarity about the origins of Leviss and Sandoval’s affair and where they seem to stand now.
Like many fans had guessed—and Madix has been saying this entire reunion—Sandoval has apparently been coaching Leviss on what to disclose about the affair, including where they’ve had sex, when they started hooking up regularly, and where they’ve vacationed together. At the end of the telecast, we see a confessional Leviss recorded six days after the reunion taped, where she tearfully clears up some mistruths about her and Sandoval’s sordid romance.
“I think it’s important, to me, to tell the truth,” she says, smiling nervously. “I think that I’ve been lying, and I’ve been so deceitful this entire time. I don’t want to lie anymore.”
So what are these lies Leviss needed to clear up so badly? First, Leviss confirms what we’ve all been hearing from several cast members on various podcasts, that she and Sandoval hooked up during Scheana Shay’s wedding in Mexico while he was drunk. She also refutes Sandoval’s claim during the reunion that they didn’t take a trip to his hometown of St. Louis in December. Cut to a photo of the pair in front of a monument in the city, dated Dec. 29, 2022. She apparently also hung out with his mom.
She also reveals that she asked Sandoval if she could be an “addition” in his and Madix’s relationship, but he rejected the idea.
Then we get to the most damning of all of these revelations. While Madix was out of town for her grandmother’s funeral, Leviss and Sandoval had sex in their home. Once it was exposed during the season that Leviss slept over at Sandoval’s house—and Sandoval made up about 10 different stories about it—it seemed like a given that these two had done the deed. But hearing Leviss get this off her chest—and more importantly, going against Sandoval’s wishes—feels somewhat groundbreaking.
“This is the one story we’ve agreed on getting straight,’ she says. “And I know the reason Tom wanted to lie about it is because it’s a really bad look to hook up with someone’s boyfriend while they go out of town, for a funeral of all things.”
“This fuckin’ kills my soul” Leviss continues, now fully sobbing. “I’m so sick of lying. I hate it. I hate being deceitful. It’s horrible.” The screen fades to black while we hear her whimpering.
While this maybe wasn’t the Earth-shattering news we were hoping for, this last segment still manages to be pretty revelatory—not because of what Leviss says, per se. Rather, it’s the first time we’re watching her break from her overly giggly, emotionally vacant disposition throughout this drama and truly be vulnerable. She even admits that she's scared she won't have anyone to turn to if she loses Sandoval. It seems the reality of this situation has finally hit her, and she’s awakened from her lover’s brainwashing. We’ve already heard from people, like Tom Schwartz, that Leviss and Sandoval’s relationship has been “toxic.” And it seems like this fling is officially no longer the Julia Roberts romantic comedy she may have thought it was in her head.
Aside from this chilling ending, we spend most of the final part of the reunion watching Madix tell off Leviss, while she remains mostly cool and gives decent, but useless, apologies. During one point in the heated conversation, after Madix repeatedly tells Leviss that she’s “nothing,” Leviss walks off set to wipe away some tears and drink some water before coming back to get screamed at some more by the entire cast. It’s both well-deserved and a bit queasy to watch.
Despite being Sandoval’s pro bono attorney this whole time, Vanderpump is suddenly eager to scold Leviss. Even Cohen seems less sympathetic in his line of questioning towards her than he was with Sandoval. (I wonder why!)
Sandoval doesn’t miss the opportunity, however, to look like the biggest asshole of the night between the two of them (because he is). At one point, the group brings up that Sandoval had slept with another woman in Chicago in January while he was sleeping with Leviss. Sandoval denies this before Madix reminds him that he was having sex with her at that time. Then this mustachioed demon replies sarcastically, “She had her T-shirt on. It was really hot.”
Even Sandoval’s biggest enabler, Schwartz, puts his head in his hands at this point and tells Sandoval he’s gone too far. (Vanderpump is quiet, of course!) Fortunately, for Madix—and Katie Maloney—her ex just gave her a brilliant idea for some new merch. The two are now selling a “Fuck Me In This” T-shirt on the Something About Her website that will probably make them a million dollars. You go, ladies!
Anyway, this whole ordeal ends with Sandoval trying to squeeze out some tears and give a heartfelt apology to Madix. (Maybe don’t victim-blame your partner for not being hot enough for you minutes before you need to express remorse!) Madix says that, unlike him to her, she doesn’t wish him well, which makes Vanderpump start crying.
Well, after three riveting months of non-stop headlines and Deuxmoi tips, the #Scandoval has finally come to an end. One can assume we won’t be seeing Leviss on TV anytime soon, which is probably healthy.
Unfortunately, Sandoval still has several businesses to run—and needs attention to live—so we’ll probably be seeing those hideous white fingernails again. Regardless of who returns next season or where this show heads next, great job to everyone! Thanks for this brain-melting saga!
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