In fact, the Vanderpump Rules alum recently hinted that her former lover orchestrated their months-long secret relationship for the benefit of the Bravo series.
"The thought has crossed my mind, like, 'Did Tom mastermind this?'" Leviss wondered on the Jan. 29 episode of her Rachel Goes Rogue podcast. "He is known to self-produce, and all he has is this show, and the success of this show equals longevity in his career. He's over 40 now, and this is his life. This is his main income."
After the scandal—he was dating her BFFAriana Madix at the time—came to light last March, Leviss claimed she and the TomTom co-owner discussed how the fallout from their affair would come across on television.
"When we did have conversations like, ‘How is this going to play out?' He said, ‘We can be together next season,'" the 29-year-old recounted. "I think he had his motivation behind it that really escalated the situation. Whereas if it wasn't a reality TV show and we weren't all filming, I wonder if it would be like this."
The former beauty queen also accused Sandoval of "acting" the night they first hooked up, which went down after she and costar Charli Burnett crashed a guys' night out during season 10.
"Charli and I walk in, and who's the brightest-eyed, bushy-tailed one to see me?" Leviss said. "Who is so thrilled that I just walked in? [None] other than Tom Sandoval. And it's such B.S. too, because I heard somebody say, like, 'Oh yeah, Tom definitely knew. Producers definitely told Tom that Charli and Raquel were about the walk in.'"
"Like, he was ready for that scene," she continued. "And I'm like, 'Goddamn it! He fooled me!' Like, I thought he was actually genuinely happy to see me. I was like, 'Oh my God, this is what it feels like to actually be appreciated and feel like you're welcomed in a room and feel like somebody wants you there.' Like, the stark contrast."
At the time they first got physical, Leviss said Sandoval was the only castmember she felt she could turn to amid her drama with Katie Maloney and Lala Kent.
"This person actually cares about me and he's down to hear my side of the story," she explained. "The only person I could see was him and nobody else. And he was actually listening to me and understanding the situations I was in [where] producers were intervening and telling me to say certain things that I normally wouldn't actually say. And he understood that, like he had been there before."
"We were best friends," the 40-year-old lamented last month on the Two T's in a Pod podcast.. "It's heartbreaking to go through. I was fully in love with her. She's not just some hot girl. I was a model for 15 years, it's deeper than that."
See the fallout from their affair continue when Vanderpump Rules returns tonight, Jan. 30, at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
And keep reading for a full recap over everything that's happened since VPR's season 10 Scandoval controversy.
Ariana Madix & Daniel Wai Are Going Strong
Tom Sandoval Defends T-Shirt Sex Comment About Ariana Madix
Tom Schwartz Distances Himself From Scandoval
Raquel Leviss Enters Treatment
Lala Kent Regrets Verbally Attacking Raquel Leviss
Ariana Madix & Katie Maloney to Open New Sandwich Shop
Katie Maloney Debuts a New Look
Tom Sandoval's Rumored New Girl
Ariana Madix Details Her "Lovely" New Relationship
James Kennedy & Ally Lewber Are Still Together
Scheana Shay & Ariana Madix Throw a First Pitch
Lala Kent Enjoys Family Time
Stassi Schroeder Reunites With the Girls
Brock Davies Cuts His Hair
Ariana Madix Cashes in on Tom Sandoval's Nasty Dig
Ariana Madix Turns 38
Fourth of July Fun
Tom Sandoval Films Season 11
Ariana Madix Joins <i>Dancing With the Stars</i>
Where Tom Sandoval & Raquel Leviss Stand Today
Ariana Madix Joins <i>Love Island USA</i>
Tom Sandoval & Ariana Madix Film Season 11 Together
Clark set the Indiana Fever’s franchise record for turnovers (10), shot 5-of-15 from the floor and struggled with the Connecticut Sun’s physical defense.
The atmosphere was electric for Clark's home debut and there were brief flashes from the Fever, but it's clear they've got plenty to work on before they can compete with the WNBA's elite teams.
Gottlieb's repeatedly courted controversy in his media role and will reportedly continue to host his nationally syndicated radio show while coaching Green Bay.
All five of these hitters were drafted highly in fantasy baseball leagues. So far, they have not lived up to their ADPs — and that's an understatement. Scott Pianowski analyzes.