Rachel Leviss’ has been missing from the Vanderpump Rules cast since season 10, after it was discovered she was having an affair with Tom Sandoval, then in a 10-year relationship with Ariana Madix. Though Rachel has been out of the fold for a minute since declining to return to the show, she has stayed vocal in the news and through her podcast, frequently sharing about her experience on VPR and the remaining cast, including her ex-fiance, James Kennedy. James was arrested in December 2024 for alleged claims of domestic violence as charged by Burbank police. Since the news broke, Kristen Doute was the first Pump Rules alum to publicly comment about the situation. Now Rachel has joined Kristen in sharing her opinion about James’ shocking arrest. Here’s a look at Rachel Leviss’ response to James Kennedy’s arrest.
What did Rachel Leviss say about James Kennedy’s arrest?
Through her lawyers, Rachel said that she was “aware” of the “unfortunate but not surprising” news of “James Kennedy’s recent arrest for domestic violence.” Rachel’s legal team had previously described detailed allegations of abuse against James Kennedy during his five-year relationship with Rachel, then going by Racquel, that ended in a called-off engagement. Rachel’s lawyers included these claims as a part of her lawsuit against Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix, and Bravo regarding revenge porn, which became public in February 2024. In the suit, Rachel accused James of being “prone to violent outbursts,” “falsely accus[ing] [Leviss] of cheating,” and “act[ing] in a generally unhinged manner” along with his admitted substance abuse issues.
The lawsuit stated that during a visit to Rachel’s family home in Arizona, James Kennedy allegedly got into an altercation with her family on Thanksgiving. The recollections from Rachel describe James acting verbally violent with both of her parents and physically violent with the Leviss’ family dog. This outburst, which Rachel alleges is one of many, was part of the reason she “ended their relationship and broke off their engagement.” The lawsuit also states that Rachel believes Bravo, their contracted production company Evolution, and the VPR cast were aware of James’ “emotional dysfunction” and “violent and dangerous behavior.”
At the time of Rachel’s response, James Kennedy nor his current girlfriend Ally Lewber had publicly responded to the arrest which occurred in Burbank on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, around 11:30 p.m. in the evening. Prior to the breaking news unfolding in the public eye, the cast of Vanderpump Rules had been released from the show following season 11, to be replaced by an entirely new rebooted cast for season 12.
