Raquel Leviss is finally speaking out about her months-long affair with Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval. The cheating scandal shook the cast of the Bravo reality show as Sandoval has been dating their co-star, Ariana Madix, for nine years. Madix and Leviss were close friends.
«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 tells Entertainment Tonight.
«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. I am taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices,» the former beauty queen adds.
«Although I chose to be on a reality show accepting the good and bad that comes with it, beyond my own actions I have been physically assaulted, lost friendships, received death threats and hate emails in addition to having had my privacy violated,» Leviss says.
«I have begun counseling to end my unhealthy behavioral cycle, learn to set stronger emotional boundaries and learn to protect my mental health,» she concludes. «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.
It’s Leviss’s first public statement since news of her and Sandoval’s relationship broke on Friday. Sandoval issued a statement over the weekend and was widely criticized for his words as he made no mention of Madix, and instead, was protective over his businesses and best friend, Tom Schwartz. Sandoval attempted to rectify that with a new statement on Tuesday night where he finally addressed Madix directly.
«I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process. Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana,» he began. «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.»
Sandoval said he feels «really horrible» about the «devastating» situation.
«My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. I never meant to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends,» he wrote.
«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,» he stated.
