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Scheana Shay never punched Raquel Leviss, but only “pushed” her, according to Scheana’s lawyer, Neama Rahmani. “This isn’t reality TV. This is the real world and Rachel’s actions have real consequences. Rachel filed a false police report, a false medical report, and a frivolous petition for a restraining order,” he said in a March 29 statement obtained by HollywoodLife. “Scheana didn’t punch Rachel. Rachel didn’t get a black eye. Scheana pushed Rachel but only after Rachel grabbed her wrist, and Rachel did not suffer a concussion.”
The statement comes on the same day 28-year-old Raquel’s temporary restraining order she obtained on March 8 against her 37-year-old Vanderpump Rules co-star for allegedly punching her was dropped. “When Rachel realized that she would lose in court and that she couldn’t just drop it, she decided to not show up at all,” the statement continued. “We were prepared to expose Rachel’s lies, but instead she will have to live knowing that she betrayed two of her best friends: Scheana and Ariana.”
“Instead of accepting responsibility for her actions, Rachel shamefully tried to misuse our justice system to shift blame to Scheana. We are happy that Scheana is now vindicated,” Neama concluded.
As he mentioned, the restraining order Raquel (whose real name is Rachel) was dismissed in Los Angeles on March 29 after Raquel was a no-show in court for the scheduled hearing. Scheana showed up for the hearing and had some choice words about the ordeal as she walked out of the courthouse. “I think her absence today further proves that this was all a PR stunt … [to] deflect from the affair, save face, and you know, abuse the court system,” she explained to TMZ cameras as she shielded herself from the rain with a black umbrella.
When asked if she sees herself being friends with Raquel again, she responded, “Hello no! That’s a hard no.” Scheana also used the moment to shed light on programs that help people who have experienced physical violence. “There’s people out there who actually need this. There are real victims of domestic violence out there,” the mother of one noted. “There’s amazing organizations such as Futures Without Violence, LifeWire, who help people who really need this.” She also confirmed she would be meeting with her lawyer “this week” to discuss if any legal action should be taken against Raquel.
As Vanderpump Rules fans know, Raquel filed for a restraining order earlier this month and accused Scheana of physically assaulting her in New York City upon learning that Raquel and their co-star Tom Sandoval had been enjoying a months-long affair as he was in a nine-year relationship with Ariana Madix, 37. The restraining order claimed that Raquel endured “blurred vision & swelling to left eye”, per Los Angeles court documents obtained by HollywoodLife. She also submitted photos of her left eye looking slightly discolored with a bloody cut on her left eyebrow.
However, Scheana’s lawyer immediately shut down Raquel’s claims and even accused her of lying. “This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Raquel, period,” he said in the March 9 statement, which was given to HollywoodLife. “The supposed dark markings around her left eye have been there for months. Neither Scheana nor other cast members want anything to do with Rachel 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.”
Raquel confirmed in a March 24 statement to Entertainment Tonight that she planned to drop the restraining order. “I can confirm that my attorney took my case off the court calendar Wednesday and is filing the appropriate paperwork requested by the court today to dismiss the TRO from moving forward after the 29th. We let the court know I will not be moving forward with a permanent restraining order,” she stated. “My team tried to work with Scheana on a mutually beneficial agreement hoping to get the TRO dropped earlier so we could film together.”
Despite Raquel’s effort to drop the case, Scheana explained to TMZ cameras on March 29 that there is no way to dismiss such a case, which is why she had to arrive in court for the hearing. The order was effectively dismissed when Raquel did not show up to court.
The dismissal came six days after the Vanderpump Rules Season 10 reunion was filmed with two separate seating charts: one that included Scheana without Raquel, and one that hosted Raquel without Scheana. Lala Kent, 32, opened up about the tense reunion on March 28 and claimed she “blacked out” after being so “enraged” by the entire situation. “I’m still recovering, my mind is fried,” she said on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live.
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