Vanderpump Rules star Rachel Leviss has issued a public rebuttal to Lisa Vanderpump's remarks concerning her ongoing legal battle with Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval. Levis turned to her podcast Rachel Goes Rogue to voice her concerns and to discuss the complex lawsuit. 

Leviss, formerly known as Raquel, is suing Sandoval and Madix for revenge porn, eavesdropping, and invasion of privacy. In court documents obtained by Deadline (Feb. 29), Leviss claims she was "a victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man, who recorded sexually explicit videos of her without her knowledge or consent, which were then distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a second woman seeking vengeance, catalyzing the scandal." 

Shortly after the filing, Vanderpump spoke with TMZ and labeled Leviss' lawsuit as "ridiculous." Vanderpump suggested Leviss should have foreseen the repercussions of her actions, referring to the explicit content. However, Vanderpump later amended her stance, acknowledging she was uninformed about the accusation that Sandoval had filmed Leviss without consent. 

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Leviss argued on her podcast that Vanderpump's original comments were potentially a calculated move to manipulate the media narrative in favor of her cast members.

"Immediately, I was like, 'Oh, she didn't read the brief," said Leviss on her latest (March 11) episode. "But then, you know, insiders told me, 'Oh no, she knows exactly what she's doing.' She's saying this statement for the press to pick up this certain story." 

Leviss emphasized the emotional toll the controversy has had on her. She stressed that Vanderpump's remarks were misleading and considered "victim-shaming." She drew parallels to outdated attitudes towards sexual assault victims, critiquing the societal tendency to blame the victim based on their appearance or actions.

"It took a long time to really decide if I'm going to press charges or not," she explained. "And I felt like it was important to bring this up. My privacy was violated in a very intimate and unsuspecting way, and it is embarrassing and not something that I'm proud of at all. So to have her push out a certain type of story that isn't anywhere near the truth of what has happened is very disappointing." 

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Leviss continued, "It's going back like years and years, decades and decades of back when people would say, 'Oh well, she was wearing booty shorts. She was asking for it. Oh, she deserved it because she looked a certain way.' It's very, very, icky. It doesn't feel right." 

Leviss further elaborated that the controversial video was recorded during a FaceTime call. The dispute sheds light on the influential role Vanderpump plays within the reality TV sphere, not only as Sandoval's business partner but also as an executive producer of Vanderpump Rules. Leviss' outspoken response underscores her determination to fight against misinformation and advocate for her rights. 

Fan Of View: Bravoholics understand why she's feeling so violated and hurt—because, honestly, who wouldn't? They're making their voices heard all over, from X to fan forums, pushing for a world that respects privacy and firmly says no to victim-shaming. Fans were taken aback by what Vanderpump said, pointing out that she's not playing the neutral party in this legal drama. Instead of staying on the sidelines, she jumped right into the fray with her take on the situation. 

Vanderpump Rules airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo. 

Photo Credit: @rachelleviss on Instagram.