Raquel Leviss’ Fragile Mental State Will Be Coddled On The Next Season of ‘Vanderpump Rules’

Raquel Leviss’ Fragile Mental State Will Be Coddled On The Next Season of ‘Vanderpump Rules’ 

Bravo producers have hit the pause button on the Vanderpump Rules cast’s contract talks amid the fallout from Tom Sandoval’s scandalous affair with Ariana Madix. 

Executive producer, Alex Baskin, spoke to Variety about the dicey situation, explaining that the Vanderpump Rules cast needed a breather after filming a dramatic reunion in the wake of the scandal, back in March.

“I had thought that we needed cameras on them right away,” he told the outlet. “And I now think we need a minute.”

Baskin revealed in the Wednesday interview that “new information” about Sandoval’s secret romance with Raquel Leviss will be exposed during the reunion. He added that the cast will need to watch the three-part series in its entirety before making any decisions about coming back to the show.

“The reunion is not just a recap of what you know, and it’s not just an intense version of the emotions,” he said. “I will put it this way: There are revelations, and they are revelations that not all of them know now. So we need a little space.”

Host, Andy Cohen, conducted separate interviews with Leviss, 28, Sandoval, 40, and Madix, for the reunion. The individual sit-downs reportedly freed the trio to answer questions openly, without fear of being slammed by their co-stars. Baskin predicted that the transparent dialogue would shift some perspectives about what went down. 

The production team believes that the cast members need more time to make up their minds about continuing on the Bravo show.

“I think everyone’s wrapping their heads around what that might mean,” he explained. “No one’s saying no, I’ll say that — but I think it’s hard for anybody to say yes right now, because they feel like they haven’t gotten any reprieve.”

Leviss’ future on the series appears to be a question mark, as the former beauty queen remains under the radar at a mental health facility.

Raquel Leviss pointed to “patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved,” admitting that she often looked for “emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy” after the affair was exposed.

“We have had those conversations with her reps,” Baskin said. “She and people around her have to feel OK about it. And so that’s why I also think that waiting a little bit helps.”

Another hurdle involves the cast actually agreeing to film with Sandoval and Leviss, if they both choose to return. Baskin noted that he hadn’t dismissed  the idea of former cast members, including Kristen Doute, Jax Taylor, and Brittany Cartwright returning to the series. 

In March, Madix discovered that her boyfriend of nine years was cheating on her when a sexually explicit video of Leviss appeared on Sandoval’s phone. It was later confirmed that the undercover lovers had been embroiled in an affair for months. 

The Vanderpump Rules reunion begins Wednesday at 9 pm ET on Bravo. 

 

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