Vanderpump Rules' James And Raquel Just Shared Big News With Fans
Vanderpump Rules fans have watched James Kennedy's up-and-down relationship with his girlfriend, Raquel Leviss, take its fair share of twists and turns over the years. But, recently, the DJ's sobriety and commitment to change seem to have paid off. The two announced their engagement over the weekend!
According to UsWeekly, the pair shared the news over the weekend with Kennedy captioning his Instagram post, "THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, said yes." Apparently, the two were in Palm Springs to celebrate the 25-year-old Leviss' birthday, dubbed "Rachella" in light of Coachella's cancelation. Partying with their friends, the pair quickly changed the mood after 29-year-old Kennedy dropped down to one knee.
"James proposed at the iconic Empire Polo Fields of 'RACHELLA' Friday night... and I said YES! I'm over the Coachella moon #RACHELLA," she captioned her Instagram post. According to Bravo TV, the two started dating in 2015 and have shared their relationship with the Vanderpump Rules audience since then.
Kennedy recently spoke with Bravo, detailing the pandemic's impact on their partnership. "I think that quarantine has challenged a lot of relationships and couples have made a lot of decisions whether to stay with their person," James said. "I've seen a lot of my friends breaking up with their girlfriends and vice versa. So I think me and Raquel, we've stayed strong. We've learned so much about each other, and we love each other more than ever before."
The pandemic changed things for Raquel Leviss and James Kennedy
Noting that the lack of a social scene throughout the pandemic changed things between them, Leviss echoed her now-fiance's sentiment. "I would say the pandemic is really a make or break situation. It really tests your relationship to see, in the long run, how are things going to pan out?" she said to Bravo Insider. "Without the parties, without the TV shows, without everything that LA life has to offer, we still love hanging out with each other and being with each other every day."
Fellow Bravo celebrities commented on the pair's announcements with emojis and words of congratulations. VPR's Danica Dow, Scheana Shay and Ariana Madix shared their excitement as well as Summer House star, Kyle Cooke. Bravo also noted that the newly engaged pair will return for season nine of the Bravo series.
UsWeekly reports that the two moved in together in 2018 and, in 2020, he credited her support as the driving force behind his sobriety. "Letting go of drinking was the best decision I ever made and I'm going strong," he wrote at the time of his one-year sobriety anniversary. "I don't miss the booze. I don't miss the feeling. I'm so grateful for everything now and life has become more beautiful in many ways. Thank you to my rock @raquelleviss for getting me here I couldn't of done this without you my love."