Raquel Leviss and James Kennedy's love story has had many sour notes but a sweet finish on Vanderpump Rules. James first joined the show as a busboy turned DJ at Lisa Vanderpump's restaurant, SUR. James earned a reputation for drunken outbursts and out-of-line insults. Raquel, on the other hand, is known as a doe-eyed sweetheart. Many questioned how James landed Raquel. As the couple has evolved, they've brought out the best in each other. Raquel's grace rubs off on James, and James' confidence supports Raquel's anxiety.
The couple cemented their love with a surprise engagement with the Vanderpump Rules cast in Palm Springs. James conspired to throw a mini-festival, dubbed "Rachella," in honor of Raquel to commemorate the good times they had at the iconic Coachella. Before the Palm Springs getaway, James disrespected his longtime friend and Lisa's son Max. When he wasn't able to make amends, Max banished James from SUR. Raquel wasn't thrilled when James explained the situation in Palm Springs. James said in his interview, "You don't want to come off as that couple where I'm bringing her down...She's just always got to put the cap on me or fix my mistakes; it reflects badly on me." Raquel then chimed in, "And it reflects badly on me like I can be the kindest sweetest person but her boyfriends a little errr."
Raquel met James at a New Year's Eve party in 2016 when she was still a kinesiology student. Before joining the Vanderpump Rules cast, Raquel was also Miss Sonoma. Despite her pageant queen history, Raquel was not entirely prepared for the drama that follows James. When James and Raquel first cemented things, only one person had objections, Kristin Doute. After tumultuous relationships, first with Tom Sandoval and then with James, Kristin built a passion for revenge on her exes. After hearing James potentially cheated on Raquel, Kristin brought the rumored mistress to confront him. However, the obvious effort to ruin the relationship didn't pan out. Raquel's low-key demeanor didn't bring the big reaction necessary to destroy things, and the incident left James and Raquel even more united.
Sadly, Jax Taylor claimed the following year that James slept with Logan Noh. While the friends could be touchier than the average heteronormative bromance, James denied the rumors. Logan then admitted to making it all up out of jealousy. Lala Kent wasn't as convinced as Raquel. While Lala was honored to witness their engagement, she wasn't always so supportive. The friction between Lala and Raquel heightened when Lala insisted Logan and James had hooked up. The "pasta" incident then epitomized the tension between the leading ladies in James' life. During a drunken argument, Lala admitted she and Logan ate all of Raquel's pasta at a party. James dared to criticize Lala's now baby-daddy, Randal Emmett. When the conversation grew more intense, James ended up screaming, "It's not about the pasta!" James clarified in his interview that if Lala couldn't respect Raquel, he couldn't respect Randall.
Last season, James finally got sober after Raquel gave him an ultimatum. The rowdy behavior died down, and Raquel claimed James' was a better lover than ever. Now, the pair is on the right path. Hopefully, it will be a steady season of romance for James and Raquel on Vanderpump Rules.
Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
Sources: Raquel Leviss/Instagram