Protected by restraining order, Raquel will dodge Scheana's blows at Vanderpump reunion

The Scandoval began with a punch. Not a worthwhile, on-camera slugging, like Tom and Jax, but rather the worthless, unseen alleged smackdown Scheana laid upon the woman formerly known as Rachel, Raquel Leviss. But since this is Vanderpump Rules, one way or another, the truth always comes out.

The punch in question, reportedly thrown mere hours before news broke about Tom Sandoval cheating on his long-time girlfriend Ariana Maddix with fellow castmate Raquel, resulted in Raquel requesting a temporary restraining order against Scheana on March 8. Unfortunately, the restraining order tossed the March 23 reunion into the speculation blender, spewing a slurry of misogyny, with fans renewing the culture’s interest in sexist slurs and archetypes like “whore” and “homewrecker.” Still, as we continue to show the world how little we’ve learned from the Monica Lewinskys of the world, the grudge match fans have waited nearly a month for will be more of a game of musical chairs. As a result, Raquel and Scheana will not film the reunion together. Instead, they’ll do separate segments.

As it stands, Scheana denies attacking Raquel. Her lawyer clarified that in a blunt statement: “Scheana never punched Rachel, period.” However, both have stated they will attend the reunion taping tomorrow: Raquel on Instagram and Scheana through her attorney.

“Scheana will be present at today’s filming in person. Scheana intends to follow the law but wants to be part of the reunion,” Scheana’s lawyer said in a statement. “If Rachel attends, Scheana and Vanderpump Rules will make sure that Scheana remains 100 yards away to comply with the restraining order.”

The restraining order has made the life of Andy Cohen a little more challenging. Despite the drama, he’s been saying he and the cast will “deliver” a great reunion for weeks. Cohen is used to this sort of treatment, having spent the last 20 years creating a reality in his image, complete with a talk show where celebrities tell him how great that reality is. Last year, rumors swirled that The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills shut down filming in Aspen because Kathy Hilton sent Lisa Rinna a cease and desist. Nevertheless, that season finished filming.

In addition to the show’s resident boring couple surprising us with such an explosive end, this Vanderpump nonsense made waves because it’s fueled by gossip and speculation. However, like a pro-wrestling feud, we only know what they tell us, what’s on the show, and that numerous people have been disrespected. The affair between Tom and Raquel is undoubtedly at the front of people’s minds but has yet to manifest on screen, with fans wondering what happened when and who knew what—all things we hope to see cleared up at the reunion. Until then, we’ll continue to scan through episodes like the Zapruder film, hunting for clues of when the Scandoval began. Weirdly, in the reality of the show, Scheana and Raquel are friends, making this all the more painful. We hope they can one day return to a good place and Scheana can get her smile back.

[via Variety]