Where Is Vanderpump Rules’ Raquel Leviss From? Inside Her Family Life, Adoption, Parents, Siblings

Vanderpump Rules star Raquel Leviss is known for her presence on the hit Bravo reality series, having joined the cast in season 5 during her previous relationship with ex-fiancé James Kennedy. However, she later got caught up in a major cheating scandal with costar Tom Sandoval and his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix, quickly making headlines for her affair with the Schwartz & Sandy’s co-owner in March 2023. As a result, fans became curious about Raquel’s personal life, particularly where she is from and who her parents are. 

Keep reading to learn more about where Raquel is from, her family and more.  

Where Is Raquel Leviss From? 

The reality TV star was born in California in September 1994. Throughout her childhood, Raquel participated in beauty pageants, eventually winning Miss Sonoma County. She also competed in the Miss Malibu and Miss California events. She currently lives in North Hollywood, California.

Raquel attended Sonoma State University and graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. 

Who Are Raquel Leviss’ Parents? 

During an October 2021 episode of VPR, the Bravolebrity gave fans some insight into her upbringing, revealing that she was adopted.  

"I was adopted at birth,” she explained. “My biological mom, Susan, gave birth to [my sister] Kate before me. And then, Susan accidentally got pregnant again right around the time my aunt, Laura, was trying to conceive. Susan was generous enough to offer to have me for my aunt. But Kate has kind of stepped into my life a little bit more. She wants to be that big sister role to me."

How Many Siblings Does Raquel Leviss Have? 

Shortly after revealing her adoption in the October 2021 episode, Raquel took to Instagram to introduce her other family members, including her two half siblings. 

“Susan had my biological half sister Kate (pictured slide three) and my half brother David about a decade before she was pregnant with me, and since she was done having kids, my parents adopted me at birth!!” the former pageant queen captioned an Instagram carousel post at the time. “I thank my lucky stars I was raised by such loving parents. I know I have the best dad ever (pictured in slide five), and my mom has been such a momma bear to me my whole life. When I was a teenager, my mom encouraged me to pursue modeling and to step out of my comfort zone through pageants.”

Fans also met Raquel’s grandmother, Grandma Buttons, in multiple episodes in the later seasons of the show – including at James and Raquel’s engagement party, which served as the season 9 finale.

Has Raquel Leviss’ Family Spoken About the Tom Sandoval Scandal? 

Raquel’s half sister seemingly defended Raquel via Twitter in response to her costar Charli Burnett’s tweet on March 3, 2023, shortly before Life & Style confirmed that she had filed a restraining order against Scheana Shay following an alleged altercation. Photos surfaced online revealing a gash on Raquel's eyebrow in addition to a black eye. 

“At the end of the day, no one deserves to feel this gut punch. To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement,” Charli tweeted, to which Kate replied, “Nor punched in the face” via her unverified Twitter account. 

Charli clapped back one day later by writing, “You dumb fucking c—t. Get the f—k off my page before I drag you [and] your mf sister [sic]. Show her this too.”

In April 2023, Raquel checked into a mental health facility amid Scandoval, her rep confirmed to Us Weekly. 

"Raquel and her family decided before the relationship was discovered that she would enter a voluntary facility for mental health counseling,” the rep explained. “Raquel had planned to admit herself before the VPR reunion was taped on March 23. She was scheduled to go in pre-reunion but decided she wanted to finish her filming commitment. Bravo and production were aware and in support of her journey towards better mental health. She is not in rehab for substance abuse issues."

Raquel and Tom called it quits after their affair lasted for seven months, according to multiple reports.

One month later, multiple outlets reported that Raquel’s family was seeking FBI protection after they received “violent and graphic” threats online and via phone. 

"FBI neither confirms nor denies investigations,” a statement from the FBI read, obtained by TMZ. “Obviously, we review all allegations reported to us and encourage anyone who believes their life is in imminent danger to call 911."