Not their cup of tea. Vanderpump Rules cast had their suspicions about Raquel Leviss‘ intentions long before her affair with Tom Sandoval came to light.
During a new episode, which aired on Wednesday, March 8, Katie Maloney attempted to start fresh with Raquel, 28, after she previously acknowledged her crush on Tom Schwartz. Kristina Kelly, however, was not as onboard with Scheana Shay taking all the blame for Raquel and Schwartz’s chemistry.
“I feel like I’m the only one who isn’t falling for Raquel’s sweet and innocent act. People walk around treating her like a little baby but that’s an insult to babies,” the Heartspring founder, 35, shared in a confessional after Katie, 36, waved off her concerns about Raquel.
Meanwhile, James Kennedy and his mother, Jacqueline Georgiou, hinted that his first meeting with Raquel was not as innocent as it appeared.
“But you met organically — which is another thing that I absolutely love. A family member didn’t drag you to Pump to go meet a DJ. That to me is not organic,” the U.K. native’s mom said to Ally Lewber in an apparent dig at James, 31, and Raquel’s past.
The episode of the hit Bravo series, which was filmed in July 2022, comes shortly after offscreen news broke about the California native’s affair with Sandoval, 39. Us Weekly confirmed on Friday, March 3, that Sandoval and Ariana Madix called it quits after nearly a decade of dating amid the bombshell.
“They were having problems for a while,” a source revealed to Us, noting that things “only came to a breaking point” when the Florida native, 37, became aware of Sandoval and Raquel’s secret romance.
The Vanderpump Rules cast was quick to show their support for Ariana amid the scandal. In response to backlash, Sandoval took to social media to apologize for his involvement.
“I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process. Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana,” Sandoval wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, March 7. “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.”
He added: “I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really horrible about that. My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. I never meant to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends.”
Since then, a second insider revealed to Us that the Missouri native is planning a future with the beauty pageant contestant. “Tom and Raquel are the real deal,” a source shared with Us before clarifying that the couple did not have “a regrettable fling or one-night” stand. “They have confided to pals that it’s love and they have fallen hard for each other.”
The insider said Sandoval and Raquel were planning to go public, adding, “It’s no excuse for what they did and the people they hurt, but they see a long-term future together. Only time will tell if their bond can survive the backlash.”
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Scroll on for details on Raquel’s onscreen issues with her Vanderpump Rules costars ahead of the scandal: