Tom Sandoval Sent Raquel Leviss an Us Weekly Before Their Split: ‘Always Wanted to Be on the Cover’
Rachel "Raquel" Leviss revealed what was inside the care package Tom Sandoval sent while she was in treatment — and an issue of Us Weekly was apparently front and center.
"When I was at [my mental health facility] The Meadows, Tom and I would send letters to each other. So I got a big package. There were three items in there," Leviss, 29, recalled on the Friday, February 9, episode of her "Rachel Goes Rogue" podcast. "A friendship lamp where you tap it and it changes colors. [It was] Bluetooth connected with one lamp per person. And I was like, 'Oh my gosh, that's actually a really cool gift.'"
Sandoval's next gift to Leviss, however, was Us’ personal favorite.
"The second thing that was in that box was an Us [Weekly] magazine, and we were on the front cover in a little square on the top right," she detailed. "And I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I've always wanted to be on the cover of a magazine. I didn't think it was going to be like this but still cool, right?'"
The former couple were featured in Us' digital and print coverage in March 2023. Sandoval, 41, and Ariana Madix shocked Vanderpump Rules viewers when they called it quits after nearly a decade of dating due to his affair with Leviss.
After addressing the drama at the season 10 reunion special, Leviss checked herself into treatment for 90 days. Sandoval, meanwhile, stayed in the spotlight by touring with his band, Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras, and appearing on Fox's Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
Madix, 38, also remained in the public eye by joining season 32 of Dancing With the Stars, booking the role of Roxie Hart on Broadway’s Chicago and releasing a new cocktail book titled Single AF Cocktails. In October 2023, Madix was crowned Us Weekly's inaugural Reality Star of the Year as she reflected on the aftermath of the high-profile scandal.
“This situation made me realize that I can do hard things. The worst-case scenario literally did happen, and I was OK. Like, look — you can handle what’s thrown at you," Madix exclusively told Us in the October cover story. "I’ve grown up [since joining the show]. I’m somebody who never really wanted to grow up. [But] over time, I’ve been able to love myself more and give myself a lot more grace when it comes to things we go through during filming. And that has allowed me to give others more grace."
Madix and Sandoval ultimately both returned to film season 11 of Vanderpump Rules. As for Leviss, she left the reality TV world and has since used her podcast to share her side of the story on all things Scandoval.
During Friday's episode, Leviss opened up about the third item in Sandoval's packages that subsequently led to their split.
"There was a letter. And I was like, 'OK, I'm going to take this letter with me and read it later.' So eventually I got to read the letter and then I started feeling sick to my stomach because the letter was so insulting to me and the work that I was doing at this treatment facility," she claimed. "He was basically saying, 'In all the years that I've known you, I've never seen you so dependent on a place.'"
Leviss said Sandoval tried to "convince" her to leave treatment when she wasn’t ready, adding, “I knew that that wasn't right for me for various reasons. But one of them I expressed to him [where I said], 'I don't think I'm safe to myself if I leave right now at this point.' And he tried to convince me to leave anyway. That's when I really knew that this person does not love me. And this is a love bomb tactic to try to have this control over me."
Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval’s Relationship Timeline: When Did Their Affair Start?
The former Bravo personality’s therapist helped her cut all ties with Sandoval.
"[At first I was like], 'I feel I need to explain to him or give him a reason why.' And she was like, 'No,'" Leviss noted. "I just didn't call him again and I blocked his number. Some people would consider that ghosting. And I think he was hurt by it because he didn't get any closure."
Sandoval has since publicly moved on with model Victoria Lee Robinson.
"This week, my addiction of the week is definitely my friend Victoria that I have been hanging out with. She's definitely super awesome and she's one of the sweetest people," he gushed on the Wednesday, February 7, episode of former Vanderpump Rules costar Billie Lee's "Billie and the Kid" podcast. "Obviously I have known her for a really long time, but we went on our first date last night."
He added: "It was awesome. It was very adventurous and a little crazy. She is a model, she works a lot and she is very successful. She does well for herself, but she is also very humble and really cool. She is just a very sweet, thoughtful person."
