Scheana Shay’s Lawyer Answers Burning Questions About Raquel Leviss Restraining Order: ‘Pump Rules’ Implications, Hearing, More
Breaking it all down. Scheana Shay was “devastated” after Raquel Leviss served her with a temporary restraining order, according to her lawyer, Neama Rahmani.
“Here’s someone that she considered a dear friend, a younger sister,” Rahmani exclusively told Us Weekly on March 9 of Shay’s response to being served by Leviss, 28, amid her affair with Tom Sandoval.
Us previously confirmed on March 3 that Sandoval, 40, and Ariana Madix split after nine years due to his affair with their costar Leviss. As the Vanderpump Rules cast past and present began rallying around Madix, 37, reports surfaced that Shay, 37, allegedly punched Leviss once she learned of the fling.
The costars reportedly got into an altercation after filming an episode of Watch Happens Live With Andy Cohen on March 1. The former Miss Sonoma County proceeded to file for a temporary restraining order against Shay on March 7. One day later, Us obtained photos of Leviss that showed her with a black eye and cut that she claimed happened during the scuffle.
“This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Raquel, period,” Shay’s lawyer exclusively told Us in a statement on March 9, marking the first comment from the “Good as Gold” singer’s camp. “The supposed dark markings around her left eye have been there for months.”
The statement continued: “Neither Scheana nor other cast members want anything to do with Raquel 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.”
The “Scheananigans with Scheana Shay” podcast host’s attorney told Us later that day that Shay was one of many Bravo stars who felt betrayed over Leviss’ hooking up with Sandoval.
“For Raquel to turn around and take legal action against Scheana and to try to shift the blame and point the finger at her when she’s the one who’s an admitted liar — and she’s the one who’s been going around Ariana’s back — this is something that is mind-boggling and something that Scheana still hasn’t wrapped her head around,” Rahmani said at the time.
As Shay prepares for her March 29 hearing — which will determine whether the temporary restraining order become permanent or is dropped completely — her attorney told Us his client is still navigating her emotions toward Leviss.
“Needless to say [Scheana’s] upset. They used to be friends. She viewed Raquel as a little sister, always took care of her, trusted her, brought her into her home,” Rahmani exclusively told Us on March 16. “So the fact that she would, you know, turn around and file this police report and seek this restraining order, she’s really upset.”
Rahmani pointed out, “Anyone that knows Scheana Shay knows that she’s a fighter and she’s not gonna back down. And she fully intends to go forward and litigate this restraining order issue and show the court and the world what the truth is if necessary.”
The lawyer concluded: “Obviously, we disagree with Raquel filing this police report and this restraining order, and to the extent that we need to litigate it, we will litigate it and we will win.”
The restraining order, however, hasn’t just become an issue for Shay — it is affecting season 10 of the Bravo series. The show, which is currently filming, has been documenting the fallout between Sandoval, 40, and Leviss with the rest of the cast amid the cheating scandal. (Both stars have publicly apologized for the affair.)
But the restraining order makes it impossible for Shay and Leviss to be in the same place at the same time — which makes the upcoming reunion tapping a big issue. “It’s gonna be tough to make this reunion show happen with both of them,” Rahmani told Us, noting his client will not go against the order to film.
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