Scheana Shay and Raquel Leviss. Shutterstock (2)
Scheana Shay’s attorney Neama Rahmani weighed in on Raquel Leviss’ mental health facility stay amid the Vanderpump Rules costars ongoing legal battle.
“We’re happy that she is getting the treatment she needs but none of this changes the fact that she abused the justice system to put forth false allegations against Scheana,” Rahmani said in a statement to Us Weekly on Friday, April 14. “And she has never to this day publicly come out and apologized for all her lies.”
The lawyer’s statement continued: “We obviously recognize mental health is an important issue and wish Raquel all the best in her recovery, but we’d also like her to own up to her false allegations and publicly come out and acknowledge that she lied.”
Us confirmed on Friday that Leviss, 28, is seeking help at a rehab facility — but not for substance abuse — after facing backlash for her affair with Tom Sandoval.
“Raquel and her family decided before the relationship was discovered that she would enter a voluntary facility for mental health counseling,” a rep for Leviss told Us in a statement. “Raquel had planned to admit herself before the VPR reunion was taped on March 23. She was scheduled to go in pre-reunion but decided she wanted to finish her filming commitment. Bravo and production were aware and in support of her journey towards better mental health.”
Us previously confirmed that Sandoval, 40, and then-girlfriend Ariana Madix called it quits after the Florida native, 37, learned of her boyfriend’s infidelity. The TomTom cofounder and Madix dated for nine years before news broke in March that they had separated.
In the weeks that followed, both Sandoval and Leviss issued public apologies for their actions. The Schwartz & Sandy’s co-owner penned two statements — one asking his fans to stop penalizing his and Tom Schwartz’s businesses and a second to Madix directly.
Leviss, for her part, spoke about her personal downfalls in her March 8 apology, revealing that she was “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 love.”
The former pageant queen explained that she previously “sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy,” noting that she was “not the victim” in this situation. “I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana,” she added.
While the former Miss Sonoma County seemingly took responsibility for her part in the cheating scandal, she continued to make waves with her Pump Rules costars. Shortly after news broke that she was hooking up with Sandoval, Leviss claimed that Shay, 37, punched her in reaction to the affair.
Leviss alleged in early March that the “Good as Gold” singer physically assaulted her after they appeared on a Watch What Happens Lives With Andy Cohen. While Shay denied the allegations, her castmate proceeded to file a temporary restraining order against her.
When Leviss failed to appear at her and Shay’s March 28 hearing to resolve the matter, the “Shennanigans” podcast host claimed it proved that she was innocent.
“[Raquel] didn’t drop it, which is why we had to come here today. With this type of restraining order, there’s no way to dismiss the case. That’s why we had to show up,” Shay said at the time while outside the courthouse. “But I think her absence today further proves that this was all a PR stunt from the beginning to deflect from the affair, save face, you know, abuse the court system.”
Rahmani echoed his client’s remarks on March 29, exclusively telling Us that Leviss filing a restraining order for an alleged squabble with Shay is a “gross abuse of our system of justice.”
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The attorney claimed: “This isn’t a reality TV show. This is real life. This [type of restraining order] is something for actual victims of violence, domestic violence, workplace violence, elder abuse, child abuse. It’s not because two friends had an argument outside of a New York bar. … Raquel filing the police report, getting those medical records, filing the petition. I mean, it really, there’s real victims that need help.”
