Raquel breaks silence on Sandoval affair: ‘I deeply regret hurting Ariana’

Her side of the story. Rachel Leviss first spoke out on Wednesday, March 8, five days after news broke that her affair with Tom Sandoval ended his nine-year relationship with Ariana Madix.

“I want to apologize for my actions and my choices, especially to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans who have invested so much in our relationships,” said the 28-year-old Vanderpump Rules star began in a statement to Entertainment tonight. “There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must acknowledge my actions and I am deeply sorry for hurting Ariana.”

Leviss noted that she’s “reflecting on my choices, speaking with a counselor, and I’m learning things about myself, like my patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved” in light of the scandal.

“I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy with no regard for my own well-being, sometimes negatively impacting others and often prioritizing the intimate connection over my friendships. I am taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices,” she continued.

Leviss further elaborated on her decision to take legal action against her Bravo costars. After TMZ reported that her team sent messages to the cast about a recording of Leviss and Sandoval that was “illegally done without Raquel’s knowledge or consent”, Us weekly confirmed that she had filed a protection order against Scheana Shay amid rumors that the “Good As Gold” singer got physical with Leviss when she found out about the affair on March 1.

“While I chose to be on a reality show and accept the good and bad that comes with it, beyond my own actions I have been physically assaulted, lost friendships, received death threats and hate mail in addition to having my privacy violated,” she wrote. “I started counseling to break my unhealthy behavior cycle, learn to set stronger emotional boundaries, and protect my mental health. I do not expect sympathy, understanding or forgiveness.”

Leviss concluded, “Right now I need to focus on my own health and well-being and as I strive to become a better person, I will prioritize my mental health and learn from my mistakes.”

The SURver’s words come hours after Sandoval publicly apologized to Madix. He previously came under fire after his initial statement failed to acknowledge his long-standing love, rather asking fans to think twice before coming to his restaurants and business partner. Tom Schwartz.

“I want to first of all apologize to everyone I have hurt through this process. I especially want to apologize to Ariana,” he wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, March 7. “I made mistakes, I was selfish and took reckless decisions that hurt someone I loved. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly. I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really awful about that. My My biggest regret is that I have dishonored Ariana, it was never my intention to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends.”

Sandoval and Madix started dating in 2014, and their romance was documented on seasons 3-10 of Vanderpump Rules.

“My love for Ariana was stronger than any camera could ever capture. Some of our best times together were never filmed,” he wrote. “The same goes for some of our biggest problems.”

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He concluded: “The choices I made hurt so many people. I acted in a way that clashes with who and how I want to be. I keep thinking and working on myself. I have work to do. I have always done that and I always will.”