Rachel Leviss' Publicist Accuses Ariana Madix of Setting Up Scandoval Reveal

However, Leviss' publicist is now accusing Madix of setting up the moment -- which wasn't actually filmed -- for ratings.

On the latest episode of Leviss' podcast, Rachel Goes Rogue, Leviss' publicist Juliette Harris shared a theory about how she believes Madix was already suspicious of her then-boyfriend before she allegedly learned about the affair for the first time when she saw Sandoval's phone.

"My theory is not going to be a popular one but I stand by it, and I will go to my grave believing it," began Harris, who was interviewed by entertainment journalist Lanae Brody. "The Bravo sleuths are super sleuths, but women as a whole, pretty good at sleuthing. If I think my husband is cheating, and I can walk right over to his side of the bed when he's asleep and can check his phone because clearly she had his password. When you drop your phone it doesn't unlock, so she had to unlock it. She unlocked it, if the story is true, to check it at that moment, why, if you suspect anything at any time."

"I don't believe that, I don't believe that's how it happened," she continued, referring to the phone incident. "I believe that was propped and sent, I don't know maybe she thought the day before, and she told production, and off they went. If you think your partner is cheating and you have access to their phone 24 hours a day, wait until they are asleep, wait until they go to the bathroom, go look at the phone, she had the password. So I don't buy the, 'it fell out of his pocket and I looked at it.' ... I think that was set up for the whole thing."

Harris added, "I know people aren't going to love that, but I stick to it."

The publicist also said it's worth noting that the majority of the cast -- aside from James Kennedy and Rachel -- were or are actors.

TooFab has reached out to Madix's reps for comment. It's worth noting, the Scandoval discovery happened after the season had already wrapped filming, but before they had taped the reunion. Cameras did pick up to briefly capture some of the fallout, after TMZ reported on the affair.

For what it's worth, in the past, Madix has denied the affair was faked or that production knew about it before it was exposed.

Meanwhile, on the podcast episode, Harris went on to open up about interacting with Sandoval amid the fallout from the scandal. She claimed that the TomTom bar owner's main priority was his and Leviss' "brand" rather than how it would affect them as people, specifically Leviss' mental health.

She then recalled a phone call she said she had with Leviss, Sandoval, and his then-publicist.

"Immediately talking to him and listening to him and all he kept saying is 'my brand, our brand,'" she said. "I was like, 'Excuse me, you're thinking of a brand, I'm thinking of a human that’s about to go into a mental health facility, but you do you.'"

Harris also claimed that Leviss told her that she needed "some time alone," away from Sandoval, but he wouldn't give it to her. She said she called Sandoval, and asked for him to "leave [Leviss] alone for 24 hours," but he "could not do it."

"The minute we hung up, he was on the phone with her again," Harris said.

She went on to claim that Sandoval was upset with Leviss getting treatment at the mental health facility, and flipped out when he couldn't communicate with her.

"He got so frustrated, and he blew a gasket, and was like, 'I'm not going to protect her anymore, I'm out here by myself, it's them against me, I'm not going to do this anymore, I'm going to do what I have to do,' then hung up the phone,'" Harris said, claiming it was the last time they both heard from Sandoval.

Leviss' affair with Sandoval came to light in March 2023. It was exposed on the Season 10 finale of Vanderpump Rules, and blew up on the three-part reunion.

Leviss entered a mental health facility following the reunion, and it was later announced that she would not be returning to Vanderpump Rules for Season 11. Despite her decision not to return, she's been a frequent topic of discussion so far on the season as the cast deals with the fallout of Scandoval. However, Leviss has been reacting to the episodes as they air on her podcast, Rachel Goes Rogue.