Former “Vanderpump Rules” star Rachel Leviss has returned to entertainment with a new iHeartPodcast, “Rachel Goes Rogue.”
Leviss, who was previously known as Raquel Leviss, starred in Bravo’s reality television series “Vanderpump Rules” from Seasons 5 through Season 10. A spin-off from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, “Vanderpump Rules” follows the personal and professional lives of restauranteur Lisa Vanderpump and her staff members.
In what was to become her last season on the show, Leviss became embroiled in the #Scandoval: a headline-making, explosive sexual affair with fellow cast member Tom Sandoval. Sandoval was in a nine-year-long relationship with Leviss’s friend, Ariana Madix, at the time. The affair took place in secret during the filming of Season 10, and Madix found out about the affair after going through Sandoval’s phone and finding an intimate video of him and Leviss.
Madix then called production to tell them what had happened, and TMZ later broke the news, which led to record-breaking ratings for “Vanderpump Rules” and Bravo. The show has earned two Emmy nominations. Leviss, however, has said the backlash from the affair — particularly the widespread negative publicity that followed — led to her departure from the show, though she did try to negotiate a return for Season 11. In April, Leviss checked into a mental health counseling facility in Arizona.
Now, Leviss is expected to give a tell-all in her new podcast. “Rachel Goes Rogue” will address a variety of topics, namely her mental health journey after the fallout from the #Scandoval, her dating life on camera and her reckoning with self-empowerment. It will also feature special guests from across the entertainment industry.
“You’ve seen the story and read the articles. You may think you know me. But you don’t know anything yet,” reads Leviss’s podcast description. “Yes, I’ve made mistakes. But what you think you know isn’t reality. It’s time to see ‘REALITY’ through a different lens. And you might just be surprised by what you learn. I’ve stayed quiet for too long, but now…Rachel Goes Rogue.”
In addition to iHeartPodcasts, Bethenny Frankel and the “Just B” Podcast Network executive produce.
“I’m Rachel Leviss. This might not be the return you were expecting, but this coming January, you’ll hear my side of the story,” Leviss says in the podcast trailer. “You may just be surprised by what you find out. I hope you’ll join me.”
In an August interview with Frankel on her “Re-wives” podcast, her first since she’d left the mental health facility, Leviss said: “I feel like I’ve been portrayed as the ultimate villain. My mistakes that I’ve made on camera live on forever.”
“Rachel Goes Rogue” premieres Jan. 8, 2024 on the iHeartRadio app.