Rachel “Raquel” Leviss spoke out about her former Vanderpump Rules costar Jax Taylor seeking out treatment for his mental health.
“I am deeply saddened to hear of Jax’s mental health struggles and I wholeheartedly support his decision to seek treatment,” Leviss, 29, wrote via a lengthy Instagram statement on Wednesday, July 31. “I pray that his news is met with the open-mindedness that mine lacked, as I faced mockery and accusations of simply being in a spa.”
Leviss added that she hopes Taylor, 45, finds “healing” similar to how she did during her “journey.” She also acknowledged that “mental healthcare and accessible treatment” for reality stars is an “urgent need” in the industry.
A rep for Taylor confirmed to Us Weekly on Tuesday, July 30, that the The Valley star is voluntarily seeking help in addressing “his mental health struggles.” The following day, Taylor shared that he was getting help for his 3-year-old son Cruz, whom he shares with estranged wife Brittany Cartwright. (Taylor and Cartwright, 35, have been separated since February.)
“Working on getting better for you buddy, I love you. ❤️,” Taylor captioned an Instagram photo of the father-son duo.
Leviss and Taylor met on season 5 of Vanderpump Rules in 2017 when the “Rachel Goes Rogue” podcast host joined the cast as a guest star. While Taylor exited VPR in 2020, he has remained up to date on his former costars. When news broke last year that Leviss and Tom Sandoval had an affair, Taylor didn’t hold back his thoughts on the drama. (Sandoval, 41, was dating Ariana Madix at the time.)
“This whole time she’s just putting on a show to make it look like there’s nothing going on between her and [Sandoval],” Taylor said of Leviss on an April 2023 episode of Peacock’s Watch With special. “Going on a date with Oliver [Saunders], kissing [Tom] Schwartz, this is all a facade. This is all for show. She should really consider acting.”
After taping the VPR season 10 reunion special, Us confirmed that Leviss checked herself into a mental health treatment facility amid the aftermath of the scandal. Following the news, Taylor shared during a May 2023 episode of Heather McDonald’s “The Juicy Scoop” podcast that he did hope Leviss was “getting the help she needs” and not just spending time at a “hotel.”
“I hope if she does have something she is getting help and not just using this as a, ‘Oh this a way out.’” he said.
While Leviss’ future on VPR was up in the air at the time, Taylor exclusively told Us that Leviss should “absolutely not” rejoin the show for season 11.
“You need to have thick skin,’” he told Us in July 2023. “In my opinion, I think [Raquel] dove into something that was a little bit bigger than her. I don’t think she’s mentally tough enough to be in something like this.”
After completing her treatment, Leviss ultimately decided not to return to the reality series and has been focusing on modeling and her podcast venture. Meanwhile, Taylor returned to Bravo for the VPR spinoff The Valley which premiered earlier this year. Taylor exclusively told Us in March that he hopes Leviss stays away from the new series.
“I think Rachel needs to disappear for a while, try to figure out who she is as a person, because I think she got lost in the light a little bit,” Taylor explained. “I think she got caught up in the whole fame of it all.”
