Rachel “Raquel” Leviss is continuing to speak out about her history with abuse after her former fiancé, James Kennedy, was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence.
Leviss, 29, took to Instagram Story on Wednesday, December 18, to reshare a past post about her complicated feelings regarding her romance with Kennedy, 32.
“I stand by what I wrote here. Being in an abusive relationship is confusing because you believe in the potential of your significant other and can’t comprehend how someone who says they love you is intentionally hurting you,” she wrote. “Bad times can be few and far between, it’s easy to minimize the abuse and want to believe the person is capable of change.”
Leviss didn’t name Kennedy, but the post is from 2018 when they were dating.
“I’ve experienced so many emotions this past week. Feeling happy and vindicated and also so sad and broken,” she continued. “I don’t want this to be brushed under the rug like the times before. So much of my podcast talks about my experience with coercive control and gaining the insight to overcome it.”
While reflecting on her own journey, Leviss expressed gratitude for how far she has come, adding, “Abuse can be heavy to talk about and re-examine. I want to leave this on a positive note: There is so much to look forward to in the year to come. I am grateful for everyone who extended grace and kind words of encouragement through the tough times and the little victories.”
Leviss dated Kennedy from 2016 to 2021, which was documented on Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules. During the season 9 reunion in early 2022, Leviss and Kennedy announced that they ended their engagement.
One month later, Leviss went on Scheana Shay‘s “Scheananigans” podcast to elaborate on the former couple’s downfall.
“There wasn’t one thing exactly [that led to the split],” she explained in January 2022. “James has always felt like my parents haven’t embraced him into the family the way that he wanted to be. I found myself making excuses for him [after an argument he had with my dad]. It was getting to the point where my family and him were not meshing well.”
Leviss later became embroiled in a cheating scandal with Tom Sandoval, which led to her cheating into a mental health facility. After seeking treatment, Leviss used the tools she learned at the center to reexamine her past relationships — including with Kennedy.
“Only a few people know [the real breakup] story. It was also at a time where I didn’t want to tell the world because I didn’t want to ruin his life. That’s really what brought on that panic attack, because I wanted to say these things,” Leviss said on her “Rachel Goes Rogue” podcast in January. “There was more to that story, and I was holding myself back and overthinking everything knowing that this isn’t a safe place. That anxiety built up so much that I couldn’t breathe. I felt faint. I couldn’t see. And I just started hyperventilating.”
Leviss said she left a lot of information out about what really led to her ending her engagement.
“I was telling them the story of me planning to break up with James and how I had intentions of leaving the ring box on the counter when he got back from Europe. All of my stuff was going to be gone and I felt like that would be the safest way for me to break up with him,” she continued. “I didn’t go into the details of why we were breaking up and why I couldn’t be with him anymore.”
Us Weekly confirmed on December 12 that police were dispatched to Kennedy’s home on December 10 after receiving a phone call about an argument between a man and a woman. The authorities saw Kennedy allegedly grabbing the woman however officers at the scene did not see any visible injuries. Kennedy released a statement after he was released on a $20,000 bail and his relationship with current girlfriend Ally Lewber was called into question.
“I am committed to making meaningful changes in my life. I am taking time to focus on my sobriety, personal growth, and being present for my loved ones,” he wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, December 17. “Navigating challenging moments is not easy but I am determined to learn, grow and move forward with the incredible support system around me.”
Kennedy has yet to acknowledge Leviss’ public claims about him. His reps didn’t respond to Us‘ request for comment.
