‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Rachel Leviss On Feeling Exploited By Bravo: “The Network Is Running To The Bank With This Scandal & I Haven’t Seen A Single Penny”

Raquel Leviss is taking aim at Bravo for profiting off Scandoval, claiming she has yet to see any of the money herself.

via: Deadline

The reality TV personality chose Bethenny Frankel’s podcast to make her first appearance after working on her mental health in a treatment center in Phoenix. Frankel has been taking steps to unionize reality TV show stars and using Leviss as an example of a network exploiting her.

During the interview, Leviss accepted responsibility for her actions and says she chose to talk to Frankel because she’s “a forced to be reckoned with.”

“I just heard what you were saying on TikTok and using my case as an example of exploitation and the way that the network is running to the bank — like laughing, running to the bank with this scandal and I haven’t seen a single penny,” Leviss said on Just B podcast. “I feel like it’s not fair and I feel like a toddler saying, ‘It’s not fair,’ but it really isn’t.”

She continued, “And I feel like I’ve been portrayed as the ultimate villain. My mistakes, that I’ve made on camera, live on forever. And you mentioned the addiction of doing reality TV and the way they always dangle that carrot in front of you telling you, ‘You need to tell your side of the story, otherwise it’s going to be written for you.’ And that’s terrifying. So, I almost went back just because of that.”

With that statement and aligning herself with Frankel, Leviss seemingly confirmed she would not be coming back to the Bravo show that is currently filming Season 11 now. The cable network hasn’t confirmed the official cast for the new season.

The reality TV personality went on to talk about how compensation works on the show and how they negotiate asking for more money. Leviss, who was coming off a breakup with co-star James Kennedy, signed up for another season as she wanted to embrace her newly-single life and felt she had to perform.

“One of the things that producers also told me is that you get paid based off your performance from the season prior,” she said of signing on for Season 10, the season of Scandoval. “So, that already set me up to want to perform well going into Season 10.”

“And I took direction well,” she said of her Season 10 storyline that involved her having an affair with co-star Tom Sandoval behind Ariana Madix’s back.

In another part of the podcast, Leviss acknowledged “the hurt that I brought to a lot of people” and for not being careful with her actions.

“I was not thinking long-term. I was completely wrapped up in heartbreak and wanting to get certain needs met,” she added. “Looking back now I can see that I was still healing from a relationship from somebody who I thought I was going to marry and in ending that, I still haven’t healed yet.”

She continued, “When I was filming, I was drinking a lot to ease that anxiety. In a reality TV environment, I wasn’t getting that safe space for me to express my emotions in a healthy way.”

Bravo had no comment when contacted by Deadline.

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