Vanderpump Rules stars James Kennedy and Raquel Leviss may not be headed down the aisle after all. James proposed to Raquel in May, at a Coachella-themed event that was filmed for the show. But now, rumors are starting to spread that the engagement is off.
Raquel was first introduced as James' girlfriend in season 5, and many questioned their relationship from the start. For some time, James appeared to still hold a torch for Lala Kent. And over multiple seasons, he was constantly rumored to be unfaithful. The blonde beauty initially dismissed the talk, before admitting there was likely some truth to it in the season 7 reunion. As they moved in together, and James got sober, marriage seemed inevitable, even as James called the wedding planning "slow." But fans shouldn't hold their breath to see these nuptials on the long-running show.
On Friday, the Instagram account Bravo By Gays posted a screen cap from the show of the British DJ proposing to his longtime girlfriend. However, the caption was certainly shocking. It read, "Word on the street is this photo didn't age well!!!" They added that James, who has repeatedly referred to himself as the white Kanye West, "may actually have something in common with the real Kanye...he's now single!" Later, Bravo By Gays posted a DM from fellow fan account bravoandcocktails claiming the rumor was true. The split was reportedly revealed during the filming of this season's cast reunion. Confirming the reunion did in fact film that day, Raquel posted some Instagram stories from the taping. James was nowhere to be seen in her stories. However, the former pageant queen still had couple photos on her grid, including the photos from the night they got engaged.
For now, the breakup is still an unverified rumor. It may take until the reunion actually airs for fans to learn the truth. In the Bravo by Gays comments section, many remained skeptical. But there were also many commenters who hoped it was true, writing that Raquel deserves better than James. Fans and cast members have repeatedly called out his concerning behavior towards his longtime love. As the DJ became the show villain, Stassi Schroeder memorably compared Raquel to the woman who wanted to marry Charles Manson. Viewers and co-stars were also horrified by some of the texts from James that she read aloud. At the time, Raquel insisted they were a byproduct of his drinking.
Longtime viewers hoped James' sobriety would help him become a better partner. However, throughout the most recent season, it's clear that hasn't been the case. One particularly alarming conversation occurred about Raquel's surprising nose job. While Raquel opened up about her insecurities, her British beau's responses seemed designed to break her confidence even more. Some have even accused James of being emotionally abusive to Raquel. The college grad spent years defending him, but it's possible the lack of change in his behavior got to be too much.
If the rumors are true, there's sure to be a lot of breakup talk on the upcoming reunion. While James and Raquel's engagement could still be on, there's no doubt Lala and Randall Emmett's is off. Like the engagement photo, Lala has some pre-breakup content of her own that hasn't aged well. While discussing her own breakup, Lala admitted she likely projected their issues onto other couples in the cast, like Scheana Shay and Brock Davies.
Vanderpump Rules season 9 airs Tuesday nights on Bravo.
Source: Bravo By Gays/Instagram, Rachel Leviss/Instagram