Rachel Leviss Reacts to Ex-Fiancé James Kennedy's Arrest, Says She Endured 'Abuse' by the DJ: 'Sickening'

Mar. 15, 2025

From left: Rachel Leviss and James Kennedy.Photo: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty (2)

Rachel Levissis speaking out after her ex-fiancéJames Kennedy’s recent arrest.

In a post to her Instagram Stories on Friday, Dec. 13, Leviss, 30, shared a screenshot from aTMZstory with the headline: “James Kennedy DV [domestic violence] Arrest Was a Misunderstanding!!!! Gf Ally Standing By DJ.”

Rachel Leviss' Instagram Stories.Rachel Leviss/Instagram

Rachel Leviss/Instagram

On Tuesday, Dec. 10, the Burbank Police Department was called to Kennedy’s Los Angeles home “regarding an argument between a man and a woman,” a police spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE.

JC Olivera/Variety via Getty

According toTMZ, who was first to break the news, citing a law enforcement source, a witness reportedly saw theVanderpump Rulesalum become physical with the unnamed woman, but authorities did not see any injuries when they arrived on the scene. He was released on $20,000 bail, the outlet reported.

When the news broke, it was unclear if the unnamed woman was the DJ’s girlfriendAlly Lewber, but the pair had been together earlier that night atKathy Hilton’s annual holiday party. Kennedy started dating Lewber in January 2022, six weeks after calling off his engagement from Leviss.

“We are aware of James Kennedy’s recent arrest for domestic violence,” Geragos and Freedman said. “This news is, unfortunately, not surprising. Rachel’s lawsuit describes, in significant detail, Mr. Kennedy’s long history of erratic, violent behavior and substance abuse.”

“Just as troubling, however, is that NBC and Evolution (theVanderpump Rulesproduction company), who have known about Mr. Kennedy’s troubling behavior all along, have been engaged in a multi-year cover-up on his behalf.  They, too, bear responsibility,” Garegos and Freedman alleged.

InLeviss' revenge porn lawsuitagainst her exTom Sandovaland his former girlfriendAriana Madix, she detailed her relationship with Kennedy — whom she dated for five years before they got engaged in May 2021 — and his alleged volatile behavior.

Leviss claimed Kennedy was “a DJ prone to violent outbursts and grappling with long-standing substance abuse issues  and emotional dysregulation.”

The lawsuit alleged that the reality star would “regularly berate Levis, falsely accuse her of cheating, and act in a generally unhinged manner. Some of this was captured on camera; some was not. Leviss eventually warned Kennedy that she would leave him if he did not stop drinking.”

From left: Rachel Leviss and James Kennedy.Raquel Leviss/Instagram

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“However, she soon learned that his despicable behavior was not solely a function of alcohol abuse,” she claimed before calling a specific instance with her family. “At Thanksgiving with Leviss’ family in Arizona, Kennedy erupted at Levis’s mother and father and kicked her family dog four times in an uncontrollable rage.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Evolution, Bravo and Vanderpump for comment.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com