Early Life and Background
Raquel Leviss is an American television personality, model, and former beauty pageant contestant who became widely recognized through Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules. Her journey combines entertainment, fashion, pageantry, television, and personal reinvention. She first attracted attention through modeling and competitive pageants before entering the world of reality television. Over time, her public image changed significantly as viewers followed her relationships, friendships, ambitions, and challenges. Bravo describes her as a former pageant herqueen who first appeared during Season 5 and gradually became a more prominent figure on the series.
Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Rachel Savannah Leviss |
| Known As | Raquel Leviss / Rachel Leviss |
| Profession | Television Personality, Model, Pageant Contestant |
| Best Known For | Vanderpump Rules |
| Education | Sonoma State University |
| Major Study | Kinesiology |
| Pageant Highlight | Miss California 2022 semifinalist |
| Television Debut | Vanderpump Rules |
| Wellness Work | Sound healing and wellness activities |
| Nationality | American |
| Current Focus | Personal growth, wellness and life outside reality television |
Education and College Years
Before television fame, Raquel Leviss attended Sonoma State University, where she studied kinesiology with an interest in pre-occupational therapy. Her academic background showed that entertainment was not originally her only professional direction. Bravo previously reported that she had considered continuing her education and pursuing a master’s degree in occupational therapy. This background is important because it demonstrates that her ambitions extended beyond celebrity culture. Her education also gave her an interest in health, wellness, movement, and helping others, themes that later became increasingly relevant to her evolving career.
Modeling Career
Modeling became one of the earliest professional paths for Raquel Leviss. She reportedly began modeling while still in high school and later worked with designers and participated in fashion events. Bravo reported that she had appeared in Fashion Week shows in Paris and Los Angeles and had established connections with designers before becoming a major reality television personality. Modeling provided valuable experience with cameras, public appearances, fashion, and presentation. It also helped prepare her for the intense visual environment of television, where personal style and confidence often become important parts of a cast member’s public identity.
Beauty Pageant Journey
Pageantry played a significant role in her early public life. Raquel Leviss competed in several beauty pageants and eventually participated in the 2022 Miss California competition, where she reached the semifinalist stage. Reports described that experience as an important milestone and indicated that she viewed it as her final pageant competition at the time. Raquel Leviss pageant background helped shape her confidence and communication skills. It also influenced how audiences initially perceived her when she joined reality television. Rather than entering entertainment without experience, she already understood competition, presentation, public speaking, fashion, and performance.
Joining Vanderpump Rules
Raquel Leviss major breakthrough came through Vanderpump Rules, the Bravo reality series centered around employees and personalities connected with Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant businesses. Raquel Leviss joined the program after working at SUR Restaurant & Lounge. The series gave her a much larger audience and placed her personal life under constant public attention. Wikipedia records her as part of the Vanderpump Rules cast from 2017 through 2023. Her early appearances showed a young woman attempting to establish herself among established personalities while navigating friendships, romance, work, and the unpredictable dynamics of reality television.
Life at SUR Restaurant
Working at SUR was an important part of her introduction to the show’s world. Raquel Leviss became associated with the restaurant while building her identity in Los Angeles. Bravo later discussed her experience working at SUR and the difficulties that could come with restaurant employment while simultaneously filming reality television. The workplace setting became central to Vanderpump Rules, allowing viewers to see cast members interacting both professionally and personally. For Leviss, SUR represented a bridge between ordinary employment and entertainment fame. It also placed her directly inside the social environment that made the series popular.
Development on Reality Television
Over multiple seasons, Raquel Leviss became more confident and visible on Vanderpump Rules. Raquel Leviss storyline expanded beyond her original image as a pageant contestant and SUR employee. Viewers watched her navigate friendships, professional goals, romantic relationships, and conflicts with other cast members. Her increased screen presence eventually made her one of the show’s recognizable personalities. Season 9 elevated her role within the ensemble, while later episodes focused increasingly on her complicated relationships and changing friendships. Reality television gave her an unusual platform because audiences could observe her development over several years rather than through a single project.
Relationship With James Kennedy
One of the most discussed relationships in her television story was her relationship with DJ and reality personality James Kennedy. Their romance became a recurring storyline on Vanderpump Rules and included discussions about commitment, trust, personal growth, and future plans. The relationship eventually ended, creating another major turning point in her life. Their breakup was publicly documented through the series and became part of the larger narrative surrounding her transition into a different stage of adulthood. The experience also contributed to her growing independence as she began considering what she wanted outside relationships and reality television.
Changing Public Image
As her time on television progressed, her public image became increasingly complicated. Raquel Leviss was initially presented as a relatively reserved pageant contestant entering a dramatic social circle. Over time, viewers saw different sides of her personality, ambitions, friendships, and decisions. Reality television can create a gap between a person and the public perception formed around them. Raquel Leviss story demonstrates how quickly an entertainment personality can become defined by specific events. This transformation became particularly clear during her final period on Vanderpump Rules, when personal events dominated entertainment coverage and dramatically changed how audiences discussed her.
The Scandoval Controversy of Raquel Leviss
The biggest turning point came in 2023 with the scandal commonly known as “Scandoval.” The controversy involved an affair between Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval while Sandoval was in a long-term relationship with Ariana Madix. The revelation became one of the most significant reality television stories of the year and received widespread coverage beyond the show’s regular audience. The controversy affected friendships, careers, relationships, and public reputations across the cast. It also turned a television storyline into a broader cultural conversation about trust, betrayal, privacy, accountability, and the intense scrutiny faced by reality stars.
Season 10 and Its Impact
The tenth season of Vanderpump Rules became closely associated with the controversy. The season originally aired in 2023 and featured Leviss alongside several central cast members. Because filming occurred before the affair became public, later episodes and reunion material received extraordinary attention. The story demonstrated how reality television can capture events before audiences understand their eventual significance. For Leviss, Season 10 represented both the height of her television visibility and the beginning of her departure from the franchise. It remains a defining chapter in her public biography.
Leaving Vanderpump Rules
After the scandal and its aftermath, Raquel Leviss chose not to return as a regular cast member. Wikipedia’s episode and cast information lists her departure after Season 10. Leaving the show marked a major change because Vanderpump Rules had been her primary source of public recognition for several years. Her decision also reflected a broader attempt to create distance from the environment that had contributed to intense public scrutiny. Instead of continuing the same reality television path, she began exploring a quieter lifestyle and different professional interests away from the cameras.
Mental Health and Personal Growth
Following the intense attention surrounding the scandal, Raquel Leviss entered a mental health treatment program. Raquel Leviss subsequent public discussions emphasized reflection, accountability, boundaries, and rebuilding her life. It is important to distinguish verified personal statements from speculation because celebrity coverage can quickly become exaggerated. Her experience illustrates the pressures that can accompany sudden fame and intense online criticism. Moving away from reality television gave her an opportunity to concentrate on personal development without the constant demands of filming. Her later direction suggests that wellness and emotional balance became more important priorities in her life.
Rachel Leviss Name Change
Another notable development was her return to using her birth name, Rachel Leviss, rather than the professional name Raquel. The change became part of her effort to reconnect with her identity outside the reality television persona. Media outlets have subsequently referred to her as Rachel, Raquel, or both names depending on the context. This distinction can be useful when researching her career because older television coverage frequently uses “Raquel,” while more recent reporting commonly uses “Rachel.” Raquel Leviss name change therefore represents more than a simple branding decision; it has also become associated with her personal reinvention.
Rachel Goes Rogue Podcast
After leaving television, Rachel Leviss launched the Rachel Goes Rogue podcast, using the platform to discuss her experiences and perspective. The project allowed her to communicate directly with listeners instead of relying entirely on television editing or entertainment coverage. A 2024 Reddit discussion about the podcast’s opening episode documented her explanation that she wanted an opportunity to tell her story in her own words. Podcasting gave her another form of media independence and demonstrated how former reality stars can build direct relationships with audiences. The project became part of her broader transition away from traditional reality television.
Life Outside Los Angeles of Raquel Leviss
After leaving the Bravo spotlight, Rachel Leviss increasingly embraced life away from Los Angeles. Recent reporting indicates that her activities have become connected with Arizona and a quieter lifestyle. Us Weekly reported in 2026 that her work had shifted toward wellness activities and that her sound-bowl practice was based in Arizona. This move represents a significant contrast with her earlier years in Los Angeles, where restaurants, television filming, nightlife, and entertainment were central to her daily life. Raquel Leviss newer lifestyle appears more focused on wellness, personal development, and creating distance from constant celebrity attention.
Sound Healing and Wellness Career
One of the most interesting parts of her post-television career is her involvement in sound healing. Current reporting describes her as a certified sound bowl practitioner who participates in wellness retreats and workshops. Sound healing uses vibrations and tones as part of relaxation and wellness practices, although individual experiences can vary. For Leviss, the field offers a professional direction that is considerably different from reality television. It also connects with her earlier academic interest in health-related subjects and demonstrates how public figures can redirect their careers after leaving entertainment platforms.
Social Media Presence of Raquel Leviss
Social media remains an important way for Rachel Leviss to communicate with followers. Instead of relying primarily on television appearances, she can share updates about wellness, personal projects, lifestyle interests, and professional activities directly. According to Us Weekly, her Instagram profile had more than 586,000 followers as of February 2026. Social platforms give her greater control over how she presents herself. They also allow audiences to see a different side of her life, one that emphasizes wellness and personal development rather than the restaurant-centered drama associated with her earlier television career.
Legal Developments
The aftermath of the 2023 scandal also produced legal developments involving intimate videos. In August 2026, Vulture reported that a California appeals court allowed Rachel Leviss’s lawsuit involving Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval to proceed. The case includes allegations involving privacy and the handling of intimate material. Because the litigation is ongoing, allegations should not be treated as established facts, and future court proceedings may change the legal picture. This chapter demonstrates how the consequences of a reality television scandal can extend beyond entertainment coverage and into serious legal and privacy questions.
Influence on Reality Television Culture
Her story became an important example of how reality television can influence public discourse. The scandal surrounding her and other Vanderpump Rules personalities moved beyond ordinary fan discussions and became a major pop-culture story. It generated debates about relationships, loyalty, privacy, accountability, online harassment, and celebrity culture. The situation also demonstrated the power of social media to amplify reality television narratives. While her decisions attracted criticism, the intensity of the public response raised broader questions about how much scrutiny entertainment personalities should receive and where the boundary between public interest and private life should exist.
Career Beyond Reality TV of Raquel Leviss
Today, Rachel Leviss’s career is no longer defined solely by reality television. Raquel Leviss modeling history, pageant background, podcasting experience, social media work, and wellness activities form a broader professional story. Her current direction appears to emphasize personal independence and wellness rather than returning immediately to the same entertainment environment. This evolution is significant because celebrity careers rarely follow a straight path. Some personalities remain television fixtures, while others use their visibility to build entirely different careers. Raquel Leviss transition demonstrates how someone can take an established public profile and gradually redirect it toward a new professional identity.
Public Perception and Personal Reinvention
Public perception can change dramatically over time, especially for people whose lives have been documented on television. Rachel Leviss experienced both popularity and intense criticism, making reinvention particularly challenging. Her decision to pursue wellness and a quieter lifestyle shows an effort to build an identity beyond past controversies. Her story also demonstrates that public figures can evolve after difficult chapters. While opinions about her past remain divided, her more recent work suggests that she is focusing on creating a different future. That distinction is important when evaluating her career because her life extends beyond the events that made her famous.
Legacy From Vanderpump Rules
Her legacy on Vanderpump Rules remains significant because she was part of the franchise during one of its most closely watched periods. She joined as a pageant contestant and SUR employee before becoming a regular cast member and central figure in later seasons. The series itself continued evolving after her departure, with the original cast changing substantially by 2026. Her time on the program remains a memorable chapter in the show’s history. At the same time, her post-show activities demonstrate that her identity and career cannot be reduced entirely to reality television.
Future Career Possibilities
The future could bring several possibilities for Rachel Leviss. She may continue developing her sound-healing practice, participate in wellness retreats, expand podcasting, or explore other creative projects. Her previous experience in modeling and television means she also has a broad understanding of entertainment and public communication. However, her recent direction suggests that personal control and wellness are priorities. Rather than predicting a specific career comeback, it is more accurate to recognize that she has built multiple skills over time. Raquel Leviss future success may ultimately come from combining her communication experience with her newer interests in wellness and personal growth.
Why Her Story Remains Relevant
The continuing interest in Rachel Leviss comes from more than one event. Raquel Leviss biography includes pageantry, modeling, education, reality television, relationships, controversy, podcasting, wellness, and reinvention. Each stage offers a different perspective on modern celebrity culture. Her story also reflects how quickly public attention can change and how difficult it can be to rebuild an identity afterward. By 2026, coverage increasingly focuses on her life away from Vanderpump Rules, suggesting that her post-show development has become an important part of her public narrative. Her journey remains a notable example of transformation in the reality-TV era.
Final Thoughts
Rachel Leviss has experienced an unusually public journey from pageantry and modeling to reality television fame and, later, a quieter wellness-focused lifestyle. Her years on Vanderpump Rules brought enormous visibility, while the 2023 scandal fundamentally changed her career direction. Since leaving the series, she has explored podcasting, sound healing, wellness work, and life outside Los Angeles. Her story continues to evolve, and current legal and professional developments mean that some aspects remain ongoing. For additional background on the television franchise connected to her career, readers can explore the related .
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Raquel Leviss? – She is an American television personality, model, and former pageant contestant best known for appearing on Vanderpump Rules.
2. What was Raquel Leviss known for on television? – She became widely recognized as a cast member of Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules, where her relationships and personal life became major storylines.
3. Did Raquel Leviss compete in beauty pageants? – Yes. She competed in pageants and was a semifinalist in the 2022 Miss California competition.
4. What does Rachel Leviss do now? – Recent reporting says she has focused on wellness work, including sound-bowl practice, retreats, and workshops.
5. Why did Rachel Leviss leave Vanderpump Rules? – She left after the events surrounding the 2023 Scandoval controversy and subsequently pursued a life and career away from the reality series.
