Vanderpump Rules' Tom Sandoval Says He Misses "Friend" Raquel Leviss in Birthday Note

You might be SUR-prised by this interaction. 

Six months after the affair between Rachel "Raquel" Leviss and Tom Sandoval tore through the Vanderpump Rules universe—and ended his near-decade-long relationship with Ariana Madix—the TomTom co-owner is showing the former beauty queen some birthday love. 

"I've been dreaming of a place like this," Raquel captioned a Sept. 10 video montage of her at a farm, adding the hashtags, "#flowerfarm #flowerarranging."

Two days later—on her 29^th birthday—Tom sent best wishes her way in the comments.

"Happy Birthday Rachel," he wrote, "I really hope ur finding peace and happiness. Miss u friend."

And though Raquel did not respond directly to Tom's comment, two days later she took action by blocking her former cast mate. She shared a screenshot of Tom's blocked Instagram account to her Story Sept. 12, over which she added an "x" graphic over Tom's profile picture as well as a GIF that said "ok bye!"

The interaction comes as Raquel has seemingly kept her distance from the rest of the Vanderpump Rules cast, including Tom, in the months since season 10 wrapped at the end of March.

In fact, shortly after completing filming on the explosive three-part reunion in March, which showed Raquel meeting Ariana face to face for the first time since news of the affair broke, she checked herself into a mental health facility in Arizona.

"Raquel and her family decided months before the relationship was discovered," her rep told E! News in April, "that she needed mental health treatment and ultimately decided she would enter a voluntary facility for mental health counseling."

And following her departure from the facility after two months, Raquel has made it clear that her days serving up pumptinis on the Bravo series were behind her. In fact, don't expect to see her back on reality TV at all.

"Oh, hell no," Raquel said during the Aug. 18 episode of Just B with Bethenny Frankel in response to whether she might ever return to TV. "No because I refuse to not respect myself on that level where I would endure that emotional abuse any longer. I can't do that to myself."

And while Tom seems to have taken the opposite approach—signing on for season two of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test in addition to season 11 of VPR—one former costar is supporting Raquel's decision to make her exit. 

"I don't think that reality TV is for everyone," Lala Kent' said on the Aug. 23 episode of her Give Them Lala podcast. "It is a very intense environment. If you are not mentally tough as f--k, it can break you. It definitely can."

She did, however, hold her former costar accountable for her actions amid her and Tom's affair and the ensuing fallout.

"Now, to say that Raquel was a victim of something, I don't know," Lala added. "What I do know is you made a decision to sleep with your best friend's partner of 10 years. You didn't need to do that. No one was forcing you to do it and no one asked you to do that."

And to see everything we know so far about season 11 of Vanderpump Rules, keep reading.

Filming for Vanderpump Rules season 11 began in late June just weeks after the explosive three-part season 10 finale finished airing. Ariana Madix was even spotted letting loose while shooting at her ex's restaurant TomTom.

"Dj James Kennedy is playin' a set at tomtom," TikTok user audpen wrote June 30 with a video of Madix dancing inside the West Hollywood eatery. "Ariana is as gorgeous as ever living her best life, and the whole crowd chants for her. The world is good." 

On July 6, Tom Sandoval was seen filming for the first time since Scandoval. The 40-year-old dropped flowers off at Lisa Vanderpump's now-closed West Hollywood hot-spot PUMP, which shut its doors this summer.

 

Season 11 will surely highlight the opening of Madix and Katie Maloney's new West Hollywood sandwich shop Something About Her, which is supposed to open this summer amid filming. The BFFs have shared plenty of sneak peeks inside their latest business venture on social media.

Four months after filming their shocking season 10 reunion showdown, the exes were spotted filming together on July 11 at SUR's weekly See You Next Tuesday event with several of their costars. 

Bravo fans will have to wait and see as to whether Madix and Sandoval actually interacted during the outing.

After checking out of a mental health facility in Wickenburg, Arizona in July, Rachel "Raquel" Leviss confirmed in August she is not returning for season 11. In fact, she stated that she won't be coming back to reality TV at all. 

"Oh, hell no," Raquel told Bethenny Frankel. "No because I refuse to not respect myself on that level where I would endure that emotional abuse any longer."

On July 18, Scheana Shay and husband Brock Davies, James Kennedy and girlfriend Ally Lewber, Tom Schwartz, Sandoval and Lala Kent jetted off to Lake Tahoe for a summer getaway, marking the cast's first post-Scandoval vacation.

Shay and Kent shared Instagram Stories from their luxury lakeside rental. As for where they stand with Sandoval…

Although Shay and Sandoval were photographed posing with a fan alongside their costars in Tahoe, the "Good as Gold" singer clarified she has not totally forgiven the TomTom co-owner for his affair.

Retweeting a video of Sandoval from her Instagram, Shay wrote July 19, "Who said all is forgiven?? We are all here for Lisa."

She added in response to another social media user questioning if they were friends again, "I'm posing in a photo for a fan. I take photos w strangers on the daily and have my arm bent up behind ppl. End of story. Should I look miserable in a group fan photo I got thrown in walking to our car?"

While in town, the cast checked out Vanderpump's new club Wolf at Harrah's, meaning fans will definitely get a look at the restauranteur's new Tahoe business venture next season.

In videos shared to social media, Shay, Davies, Kent, Sandoval, Schwartz, Kennedy and Lewber even helped knock down walls inside the venue during renovations.

Several weeks after Leviss finished her stay at a treatment facility, Kennedy announced their dog Graham, who they rescued in 2018 while still dating, was back in his custody.

"Look who made his way back home, back into my life," the DJ wrote in a July 19 Instagram along with two adorable photos. "I'll take care of you forever and I love you."

As it was announced in early July that Madix is officially joining season 32 of Dancing With the Stars, we can only hope we'll get a behind-the-scenes look at her ballroom prep.

While the cast was filming their Tahoe trip, Madix flew to Fiji to make a special appearance on her favorite show Love Island USA.

On Aug. 6, the whole cast (minus Sandoval) was pictured enjoying a tasting at Something About Her ahead of the shop's opening.

While they made sure to keep their distance from one another, Madix and Sandoval were photographed together for the first time since the explosive season 10 reunion.

The exes reunited for an Aug. 8 water tasting with the rest of their season 11 castmates.

Schwartz debuted bleach-blond hair in August.

Season 11 culminates with a group vacation in San Francisco. Madix, Sandoval, Schwartz, Maloney, Kent, Shay, Kennedy and Lewber were all in attendance according to their Instagram Stories touring the Golden Gate bridge and other landmarks.

Madix's man joined the cast on their season 11 trip to San Francisco and it seems he's set to make his debut on the show.

Madix and Wait coordinated for a night out in SF.

On Aug. 3, Kennedy announced "that's a wrap" on season 11 with a cute pic with Lewber in San Francisco.

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