News of the filing, which broke on Tuesday, March 7, comes following rumors that Scheana, 37, and Raquel, 28, got into a physical confrontation following their March 1 Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen appearance. A judge has not yet granted the order. A hearing is set for March 29.
Keep reading for details regarding Raquel and Scheana’s feud.
Why Did Raquel Leviss File for an Order of Protection Against Scheana?
After news of Raquel’s affair with Tom Sandoval broke to the Vanderpump Rules cast, it was widely reported that things between the former beauty queen and Scheana got physical. While neither Raquel nor Scheana has yet to confirm the altercation, the “Good as Gold” singer “liked” a Twitter post on Tuesday, March 7, that read “#FreeScheSche” alongside an article about the restraining order.
Things apparently got messy after the duo taped Watch What Happens Live because Scheana found out about Raquel’s affair with Tom, 39. Scheana, for her part, is best friends with Ariana Madix, who dated Tom for nine years before the cheating scandal broke.
What Was Scheana Shay’s Response to Raquel’s Order of Protection Request?
“This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Rachel, period,” Scheana’s attorney Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told Life & Style on March 9. “The supposed dark markings around her left eye have been there for months,” he continued about Raquel’s photos submitted to the court purporting to show her with a black eye from the alleged altercation.
“Neither Scheana nor other cast members want anything to do with Rachel going forward. The judge has only heard a one-sided account of what happened, and we look forward to presenting the full and true story at the March 29 hearing,” Neama added.
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Will Raquel and Scheana Both Be at the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Season 10 Reunion?
According to a separate statement from Scheana’s attorney on March 14, obtained by People, Raquel — whose birth name is Rachel — “sabotaged this reunion because it just can’t happen in any meaningful way while this order is in place.”
Neama explained that “the temporary restraining order, as it stands now, currently prohibits Scheana from being within 100 yards of Rachel so they can’t both be physically present at the reunion,” so “having them all together in person, is certainly in jeopardy.”
However, there might be a way that they can both appear.
“Potentially, one of them could Zoom in and appear virtually but Scheana still can’t communicate with Rachel either directly or through an intermediary,” the lawyer added, explaining that Scheana, most likely, will “have to film [the reunion] separately or virtually.”
Did Raquel Take Legal Action Against Her ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Costars?
Raquel’s lawyers reportedly sent a letter on behalf after her affair with Tom had been exposed. The letter claimed that an “intimate FaceTime session” between herself and the musician had been screen recorded “illegally without Raquel’s knowledge or consent,” according to a report from TMZ on March 7.
While the letter apparently did not accuse Tom of the recording, her lawyers did cite a California revenge porn law, which outlaws “nonconsensual pornography.” It also told anyone with this alleged video to remove it from their phones or in “any other manner or method in which the recording may exist.”
Reps for Raquel and Tom did not immediately respond to Life & Style‘s request for comment.
Did Raquel Leviss Cheat With Tom Sandoval?
Life & Style confirmed on March 3 that Tom and Ariana, 37, had broken up. A source then confirmed to Life & Style that “the rumor is true … they, in fact, broke up due to Tom cheating on her with Raquel.” TMZ was first to report the news.
“I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process,” he shared via Instagram, in part, on Tuesday, March 7. “Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana. 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. I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us.”
Hours after his late-night Instagram post, Raquel released her own statement, apologizing for her actions and to Ariana.
“There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana,” she shared, in part, to Entertainment Tonight on March 8. “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.”
Concluding her message, Raquel wrote, “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.”
