Andy Cohen is taking Raquel Leviss’ apology “at face value.”
The TV host read the “Vanderpump Rules” star’s statement aloud during Wednesday’s episode of SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live” — and told viewers that he immediately knew it would receive “terrible” feedback from fans.
“I’m like, ‘Oh OK, good for Raquel,’” Cohen, 54, said of his initial reaction to seeing Leviss apologize to Ariana Madix for having an affair with her longtime boyfriend, Tom Sandoval.
“[Then I was like], ‘Well, trolls, go ahead and you can all give us the 85 reasons why this is a terrible apology.’”
The king of Bravo’s co-host, John Hill, then chimed in, arguing that he didn’t think it was a “terrible apology,” to which Cohen agreed.
“It’s something … that’s the first step,” Hill said, with Cohen replying, “Right, exactly.”
In the lengthy statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday, Leviss, 28, claimed it was her “addiction” to love that caused her to have a months-long affair with Sandoval, 39.
Cohen told listeners that Leviss’ actions on “Vanderpump Rules” will certainly support that statement. He added that fans will get to see some of it play out as soon as Wednesday’s new episode drops at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
“Well folks, when you watch tonight’s ‘Vanderpump Rules,’ you will see exactly what she is saying play out with her,” Cohen teased.
“She is like in heat tonight over Garcelle Beauvais’ son, and it really plays into everything she’s saying right here.”
Cohen was referring to footage of Beauvais’ 32-year-old son, Oliver, cheating on his wife, Samantha Saunders, with Leviss. Fans got to see a teaser of their steamy makeout in the Season 10 trailer, which dropped in January.
During Wednesday’s show, Cohen also addressed the second statement Sandoval released late Tuesday – after facing backlash for not apologizing to Madix, 37, in his first statement.
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“This one was, ‘Ariana, Ariana, Ariana … our marriage was in bad shape, I deeply apologize, whatever,’” Cohen said.
The author then posed an open-ended question to Hill and viewers alike, asking, “[Is] there anything that [Sandoval] could do or say that would cause anyone to forgive him or take the pedal off the gas?”
As Page Six previously reported, Sandoval publicly apologized to Madix and admitted to making “mistakes,” being “selfish” and “hurt[ing] somebody” he loves.
“No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly,” he continued. “I can only imagine how devastating this has been for Ariana and everyone around us. I feel really horrible about that.”
Sandoval and Leviss’ joint apologies came a week after Madix discovered they were having a “full-on affair” since “last summer” upon seeing a sexually explicit video of Leviss on Sandoval’s phone.
Page Six confirmed that Madix broke up with Sandoval after learning they had been “communicating inappropriately for months.” An insider even claimed to us that Leviss had “slept over Tom and Ariana’s house when Ariana’s been out of town.”
“Ariana was blindsided by the cheating,” another source previously told us, adding that Madix had “no idea there were any issues” with Sandoval and feels “betrayed” by Leviss.
Neither Sandoval nor Leviss addressed the future of their relationship in their separate apologies. However, we’re told they “kissed on camera” last Saturday night while filming the Season 10 “Scandoval” addition.
Lisa Vanderpump, co-creator and matriarch of the popular Bravo show, will be the first cast member to discuss the affair live on Wednesday’s episode of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo.