(UPDATE: 3/9/2023 at 5:55 P.M. ET): Attorney Neama Rahmani, who is representing Scheana Shay, released a statement regarding the alleged attack against Raquel and the subsequent temporary restraining order against Scheana. “This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Raquel, period,” he said in the statement, which was shared with HollywoodLife via a publicist. “The supposed dark markings around her left eye have been there for months. Neither Scheana nor other cast members want anything to do with Rachel going forward. The judge has only heard a one-sided account of what happened, and we look forward to presenting the full and true story at the March 29 hearing.”
Raquel Leviss, 28, was granted a temporary restraining order against Vanderpump Rules co-star Scheana Shay, 37, after she allegedly physically assaulted her and left bruises and a cut on her face, Los Angeles court documents obtained by HollywoodLife reveal. Her bruised face was allegedly caused by Scheana punching her in the eye over the Tom Sandoval cheating scandal last week. In photos seen below, Raquel’s left eye appears to be slightly discolored and there is a bloody cut on her eyebrow as well. Raquel also claimed in the documents that she had “blurred vision & swelling to left eye” following the incident.
Scheana allegedly attacked Raquel in New York City on Thursday, March 2, when she discovered Raquel was having an affair with Tom, 39, who was in a nine-year relationship with their co-star and Scheana’s friend, Ariana Madix, 37. Scheana allegedly slammed Raquel against a brick wall and punched her in her left eye, and Raquel is worried that Scheana would do it again. In the court docs, Raquel claimed friends are telling her Scheana “doesn’t regret the physical attack” and “would do it again if she found that further emotional distress was caused to” Ariana. The attack occurred just hours after Raquel and Scheana appeared on Andy Cohen‘s Watch What Happens Live.
The temporary order forces Scheana to stay 100 feet away from her co-star. Raquel originally filed for the restraining order on Tuesday, March 7 in Los Angeles, and also submitted a police report to the New York City Police Department. HollywoodLife reached out to Raquel’s representative in an effort to confirm the matter, but did not immediately hear back.
It is not clear how long the restraining order will last, but it could cause filming for Vanderpump Rules to be quite difficult. Andy Cohen, 54, announced on Monday on Radio Andy that the reunion for Season 10 — which debuted on Feb. 8 and is currently airing — is taping in about two weeks. “This is a reunion that’s going to be…I’m girding my loins,” he noted at the time.
Although Scheana has not spoken publicly about her alleged altercation with Raquel, she has shown her support for Ariana on Instagram. On March 5, she took to the ‘gram to post a photo of her and Ariana posing on the carpet for Watch What Happens Live and captioned the pic, “Always got your back!” with a punching emoji. She also used a “Team Ariana” hashtag.
Ariana has not spoken about her heartbreak but is leaning on her friends Katie Maloney, Lala Kent, Scheana Shay, and former VPR star and Tom’s ex Kristen Doute for support, according to Page Six. “Ariana has recapped what happened with her friends and castmates, the majority of whom are disappointed Tom seems unable to take accountability for his actions or express substantial remorse,” an insider revealed to the publication.
Meanwhile, Tom has made two public apologies and Raquel has made one. Tom originally admitted guilt by apologizing to his Schwartz & Sandy’s bar and restaurant family — including part owner and co-star Tom Schwartz (who made headlines for kissing Raquel last year) — for the embarrassment he caused. He then followed up with another statement on March 7 to address his former longterm girlfriend. “I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process. Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana,” he began. “I made mistakes, I was selfish, and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly.”
“I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us,” the restaurateur continued. “I feel really horrible about that. My biggest regret is that I dishonored Ariana. I never meant to disappoint so many people, including our loving families and friends. My love for Ariana was stronger than any camera could have ever captured. Some of our best times together were never filmed. The same goes for some of our biggest struggles. I wish things happened in a different order and our relationship was not severely tarnished, and that it ended with the same respect with for her that it began with. I owed Ariana better.”
“I am beyond sad that it ended the way it did. The choices I made hurt so many people. I acted in a way that clashes with who and how I want to be,” he added, wrapping up his post. “I will continue to reflect and work on myself. I have work to do. I always have and I always will.”
Raquel followed in Tom’s footsteps and gave her own apology on March 8. “I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships,” Raquel told Entertainment Tonight. “There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana.”
“I am reflecting on my choices, speaking to a counselor and I am learning things about myself such as my patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved,” she continued. “I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy without regard for my own well-being, sometimes negatively affecting others and often prioritizing the intimate connection over my friendships. I am taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices.”
In an attempt to defend herself, she added, “Although I chose to be on a reality show accepting the good and bad that comes with it, beyond my own action I have been physically assaulted, lost friendships, received death threats and hate emails in addition to having my privacy violated.” She concluded her post by saying she wishes to focus on her mental health as she seeks counseling so she can learn “how to set stronger emotional boundaries.”