Vanderpump Rules star Raquel Leviss is going back to her roots as she continues to navigate the ongoing fallout from her affair with co-star Tom Sandoval.
Making the change official, Raquel took a serious pivot in her Instagram handle by reverting her username to her legal name, Rachel.
Although the change may seem sudden to fans, those who have been closely following the ongoing tension between Leviss and her Vanderpump Rules co-stars aren’t entirely shocked by the change.
As previously reported by Monsters and Critics, Leviss sought out intensive mental health support that resulted in a three-month facility stay following the “bombshell” news of her ongoing affair with Tom Sandoval.
At the time, Leviss claimed she was preparing to share her “unfiltered truth” once her mental health was back in order.
This truth hasn’t dropped just yet, but in the meantime, Leviss is still waiting to hear about the status of her return for Vanderpump Rules Season 11.
Leviss’ social media name change comes after her appearance on Bethenny Frankel’s podcast
Back in August, Raquel scored a guest spot on RHONY alum Bethenny Frankel’s Just B with Bethenny Frankel podcast where she admitted she was ready to change her name back to Rachel.
“I’m really just trying to come back to my roots, and I am introducing myself as Rachel,” she told the podcast host.
Around the same time, Leviss updated her Instagram name, though her handle still read Raquel Leviss, and added the bio tag “Healing Era 🌷🌱🌸✨.”
Further in her discussion with Bethenny, Leviss re-hashed the story of how she went from Rachel to Raquel in the first place.
Leviss first touched on the topic during the explosive Season 10 Vanderpump Rules reunion when some, including host Andy Cohen, seemed slightly confused when co-stars referred to her as Rachel.
“There were a few other Rachels in my class, and I wanted to be special,” she shared, adding that while her friends referred to her as Raquel, the name never really stuck with her family and they continued to call her Rachel.
Leviss explains her desire to ‘be somebody better’ following Scanodoval drama
In the same conversation, Leviss delved into her desire to learn from the pain she’s incurred in recent years.
She came under immense scrutiny when it was discovered she had engaged in a months-long affair with Tom Sandoval — who was in a nearly decade-long relationship with his girlfriend Ariana Maddix at the time.
The affair was so shocking it took on a name of its own — Scandoval.
For months following the explosive revelation, Leviss and Sandoval both found themselves on the receiving end of intense criticism that ultimately took a toll on her mental health.
While working through her program at The Meadows in Wickenburg facility, Leviss shared she was ready for a change and “wanted to be somebody better.”
Since leaving the facility, Leviss has seemingly continued to try and separate herself from the Scandoval drama. The two are no longer linked, and Leviss has reportedly blocked him on social media.
Vanderpump Rules is currently on hiatus.