Vanderpump Rules star LaLa Kent has called Rachel Leviss’s decision to leave the show after her fling with Tom Sandoval a “mockery” and accused Bethenny Frankel of manipulating the star.
Kent, 32, berated Frankel, 52, for ‘exploiting’ Leviss on her Just B podcast, as she waxed lyrical about the star’s departure from the show on her Wednesday episode of the Give Them Lala podcast.
She said: ‘It’s a travesty that she didn’t come back in the end. She should have come back. I think she would have been very surprised. And instead she went on to do this (podcast with Bethenny) and she was manipulated again.
“There were things she said then that didn’t make sense. It was an outright lie and I can’t imagine you believe what you say.’
Kent denounced Leviss’ claim of being called “reality TV ratings gold” by herself, Katie Maloney and Kristina Kelly, saying, “That never happened.” Raquel that night, after saying, “It’s a good thing you don’t have a husband,” went to her bedroom.
Former friends: Vanderpump Rules star LaLa Kent has called Rachel Leviss’s decision to leave the show after her fling with Tom Sandoval a ‘mockery’ and accused Bethenny Frankel of manipulating the star
Controversial: Kent, 32, berated Frankel, 52, for ‘exploiting’ Leviss on her Just B podcast, as she waxed lyrical about the star’s departure from the show on her Wednesday episode of the Give Them Lala podcast
“She went to sleep and when she comes into our room the next morning and is embarrassed, it’s the first time we’ve seen her. There was no way we walked into her room and told her she was worth gold on reality TV. This never happened and this is not a perspective. This is a fact. No one has said all this to you.
Discussing the controversial podcast, she said, “I saw this all the time that there will be times when our voice is all we have. We’ve all been able to step onto a platform – whether ours or someone else’s – to share our side of any story.
Raquel absolutely has that right and I’m glad she finally got to use a giant platform to tell her story. I’ve only seen fragments and what I’ve gathered is that Bethenny has completely exploited that girl again.’
She slapped Leviss for sleeping with Sandoval behind Ariana Madix’s back, saying, “I don’t think reality TV is for everyone. It’s a very intense environment. If you are not that strong mentally, it can break you. That is certainly possible.
“Now to say that Raquel has been victimized by something, I don’t know. What I do know is that you’ve decided to sleep with your best friend’s partner for ten years.
‘You didn’t have to. No one forced you to do this and no one asked you to. It felt like Bethenny was really trying to push her in a certain direction.”
Fans of Vanderpump Rules accused Leviss of “not learning from her mistakes” after watching her first all-encompassing interview since she was treated at a mental health facility.
Listeners flocked to social media to express their outrage at Leviss trying to “diminish” her friendship with Ariana Madix in order to defend her affair with Tom Sandoval.
Scandoval: Leviss and Tom Sandoval can be seen together in a social media snap
Struggling: She said, “It’s a travesty that she didn’t come back in the end. She should have come back. I think she would have been very surprised. And Instead She Went To Do This (Podcast With Bethenny) And She Was Manipulated Again (Pictured March)
One Bravo fan warned others before listening to the podcast, “In case you’re wondering if Rachel has grown or learned from her mistakes, save your listen. The answer is no.’
Others slammed the 52-year-old Real Housewives of New York City alumnus for giving the former pageant queen a platform and promoting “a woman who betrays women.”
“I’m just curious if you would feel so sorry for someone sleeping in your driveway with your fiancé after your dog died?” someone asked Frankel, who is engaged to Paul Bernon.
One listener agreed with Frankel that “a woman’s voice is powerful,” but said that when someone is “deficient morally,” their “power is instantly exhausted.”
“Bethenny, I’m a huge fan of yours, but giving a narcissist a platform to sell their story is a huge NO!” another user commented. “They use that platform to sell their story and play the victim. Narcissists have no feelings for anyone but themselves.”
One fan expressed frustration with Leviss saying she “looked up to the cast as role models” and said they had “all normalized cheating.”
So yes, accountability is still missing. This is not about women supporting women. These are excuses. Sh**ty ones,’ one viewer scoffed.
Behind Ariana Madix’s back: Lala said, “To say now that Raquel was a victim of something, I don’t know. What I do know is that you’ve decided to sleep with your best friend’s partner for ten years
During the episode, Leviss, who has stayed out of the spotlight since the show’s reunion episodes aired in June, revealing why she chose to step back from the public eye.
“It was a whirlwind, it was chaos. But I’ve taken some time to myself to think and try to understand my actions. And I’ve finally gotten to the point where it makes sense to me,” the Bravo star told Bethenny.
Bethenny explained that she had felt sympathy for Rachel when she witnessed Scandoval’s reaction, stating that she felt the star’s life was being “exploited” without compensation.