Um… what!?
We’ve heard a lot of voices weighing in on the Scandoval. Now Meghan McCain is making her voice heard to come to the defense of… Raquel Leviss?! Not only that, she’s picking her over Ariana Madix?? Um, we have some questions.
In an op-ed for DailyMail.com on Wednesday, the 38-year-old delved deep into all things Vanderpump Rules — specifically the ongoing Tom Sandoval cheating fallout. But in the former The View host’s hot take — she says she’s feeling more for Raquel! Yes, the same Raquel who knowingly had an affair with her bestie’s boyfriend of nearly a decade (maybe even for attention, according to some)!
Related: Raquel Gushes About Making Out With Oliver Saunders In FRONT OF Tom!
The columnist started out by calling this whole scandal out for what it is — a jackpot for Bravo:
“This was TV gold. It was the kind of real-life car crash that any connoisseur of unscripted slop relishes.”
We can’t disagree there! But when the drama started turning into something more controversial, Meghan said, “something went terribly wrong”:
“Tom and Raquel were smothered in hate — real hate. As ‘Scandoval’ played out in the media for months, I found myself feeling more compassion for Raquel than Ariana.”
Whoa!
While explaining her POV, John McCain‘s daughter called the 28-year-old reality star “an emotionally muted brunette bombshell” who “pumped Ariana — on camera — for the nitty-gritty on her and Tom’s relationship and sex life.” She also acknowledges that Raquel “pretended to be a concerned friend” to Ariana while going behind her back and sleeping with her man.
HOWEVER, the punishment, in her mind, doesn’t fit the crime!
“Yes, she and Tom had behaved terribly. But she took responsibility for what she did, and she was clearly suffering. Raquel checked herself into a mental health facility and had been in hiding — until the reunion finale … Reality television is meant to be escapism, not sadism. Yet that’s what this became. Raquel was shaking and crying. And it all may have taken a terrifying toll. … At what point is enough — enough?”
Wow. Some seriously hot takes here! It didn’t seem like Raquel was “shaking and crying” in the midst of the affair, though. Is she sorry she did it — or sorry she got caught? And yes, it’s fair to feel sympathy for someone in pain. That’s just empathy, and it’s a good thing.
In fact, Ariana and Lala Kent themselves have backed down from talking trash about Raquel. Even they seem to think the whole thing has gone a bit too far. With that being said, though, even if it’s justified to feel a little compassion for how big this has blown up — is it reasonable to feel MORE compassion for Raquel than Ariana?? We mean, let’s not forget who the victim is just because one of the perpetrators is feeling really bad.
As for the future of Pump Rules, the Dirty Sexy Politics author said she wants to see a Raquel redemption arc:
“Bravo shouldn’t forget about Raquel — they should be thanking her. [The] ‘Scandoval’ brought the show and the network a degree of cultural significance that they have never achieved before. And from here now on out, they should proceed with a level of sensitivity that this debacle deserves. I, for one, want to watch how her story plays out.”
Now THAT sounds like TV gold! We mean, everyone deserves a second chance — if they do the work to get it. Seeing her turn it around over a season or two and really earn everyone’s respect would be amazing. But that’s up to her, isn’t it?
What do U think, Perezcious readers?
[Image via Bravo/YouTube.]
