Rachel Leviss explains why she didn't return to Vanderpump Rules

Former Vanderpump Rules cast member Rachel Leviss chose not to return for season 11 of the show, but the season -- returning in January 2024 -- will still be focusing heavily on the fallout of the Scandoval scandal. There's been a lot of speculation about her decision not to return to the series, but she's finally shared the reason behind her decision.

In a new preview for her upcoming podcast, Rachel Goes Rogue, Rachel starts to open up about her own side of Scandoval. Although Rachel says that she's happy to be back in Los Angeles after seeking mental health care, she says that she's completely removed from Vanderpump Rules production.

Rachel Leviss didn't want to work with Ariana following Scandoval

Whether or not Rachel was going to return for season 11 of Vanderpump Rules was a huge question on the mind of fans, but according to Rachel, she shouldn't have even been back for season 10.

"Filming Vanderpump Rules after breaking off an engagement with James [Kennedy]. That was my first mistake, because I should’ve taken the time to heal and find a therapist," She says during the preview for her podcast. "I did the right thing by having a no-contact policy with James, but when we're working together and filming together and he's flaunting his new girlfriend that he met three weeks after I ended the engagement... That hurt."

She goes on to open up about her thought process following her breakup with James and puts the listeners in her position during filming, including the fact that she was drinking and not in a good place mentally, which she says are not an excuse for the pain she caused Ariana.

She says that she understood the pain she felt filming with James, so she didn't want to put Ariana in the same situation by staying on the show after betraying her co-star. "I didn’t want to do that to Ariana. I didn’t wanna put her in that position," she admitted and called the idea of being around Ariana "catostrophic."

Tom is the only cast member who has reached out... Despite being blocked

According to Rachel Leviss, none of the cast has reached out to her following Scandoval, which she's fine with. But, she says there's one exception: Tom Sandoval wished her a happy birthday in an Instagram comment.

"He couldn't have reached out to me via text because I blocked him the day that I got my phone back after treatment," she says in the podcast preview. "But he could have DMed me instead of making a public comment."

According to Rachel, she's unsure of Tom's intentions with the comment. She says that she has struggled with Tom in particular because she thought their relationship was special, but she's realized that he's "manipulative" and it's hard for her to clearly see whether or not his birthday comment had good intentions.

Despite not being on season 11, Rachel's podcast promises an insider look at Scandoval

Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules is returning to Bravo on January 30, 2024. Even though Rachel Leviss won't be part of the cast for the new season, she still promises to give fans "the truth" about Scandoval, straight from her own mouth. The summary for her podcast promises some major bombshells about the scandal:

"You’ve seen the story and read the articles. You may think you know me. But you don’t know anything yet. For the first time, I’m ready to tell you the real story. I’ve stayed quiet long enough, it’s time to come clean. On my own terms. This is MY story. I’m going to tell you what’s true, what’s false and the secrets I’ve been waiting to reveal. Yes, I’ve made mistakes. But what you think you know isn’t reality. It’s time to see 'REALITY' through a different lens. And you might just be surprised by what you learn. I’ve stayed quiet for too long, but now…Rachel Goes Rogue."

- Rachel Goes Rogue (iHeart)

Her podcast releases its first official episode on the iHeart app on January 8, 2024. Although some, like Vanderpump Rules co-star Scheana Shay, are skeptical of the podcast, others are looking forward to hearing her side of the story.