In the Season 11 premiere, "Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix makes it clear that she won't fraternize with anyone who still considers Rachel Leviss and/or Tom Sandoval a friend. So, it came as a surprise when cast member Lala Kent chose to reach out to Leviss during the episode, doing so in the form of a voice note after more details of Leviss' affair with Sandoval were revealed. Fans will remember Kent's general vitriol toward Leviss while the Scandoval unfolded, especially during the chaotic 2023 reunion special.
During the premiere, it was revealed that Leviss had checked into a 45-day treatment program, according to the Los Angeles Times, to deal with her mental health after the scandal broke. A sympathetic Kent, having at one point been the other woman in an affair with her now ex-husband, Randall Emmett, reaches out to Leviss in a gesture of good faith.
"[...] It resonated with me that she had been isolated, or she said she had been isolated, by Tom Sandoval. I know that feeling," Kent explained to Entertainment Tonight in January. "I also felt that she needed to come back and apologize wholeheartedly when the dust had settled, not when we're three weeks into Scandoval at a reunion."
Following the Season 11 premiere, Kent appeared on "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen" and confirmed Leviss never responded to her. She ultimately regretted reaching out, especially after Leviss appeared on Bethenny Frankel's podcast "Just B" for a tell-all interview, a decision that was criticized by her former co-stars. "I never would have reached out to [Rachel] had I had a crystal ball," Kent explained. "I thought she was gonna go bag groceries at Vaughn's or something and live a normal life."
