The Dave Portnoy And Raquel Leviss Rumors, Explained

When one celebrity relationship bites the dust, it opens the door for a new romance. When news broke in November 2023 that Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy had broken up with his girlfriend of two years, Silvana Mojica, everyone wanted to link him to another single reality star: "Vanderpump Rules" alum Rachel (aka Raquel) Leviss. Portnoy's personal life has stirred up controversy in the past, and the same is true of Leviss. For those who missed out on "Scandoval," Leviss came under fire in March 2023 after it was revealed that she'd secretly been having an affair with her "Vanderpump Rules" co-star, Tom Sandoval. Things were made doubly "Scandovalous" by the fact that Sandoval had been dating Leviss' former best friend, Ariana Madix, for the better part of a decade. Since the fallout, Leviss has excommunicated herself from the show and spent time prioritizing her mental health, according to TMZ.

As for Portnoy, Mojica revealed in a dramatic way on TikTok that he'd broken up with her. "Imagine you buy these [romantic cards] for someone and then get broken up with," the model captioned a November TikTok video. Fans of Mojica were quick to flood her post with their support — and fans of Portnoy responded by linking him to Leviss? Rumors that Portnoy and Leviss were dating surfaced shortly after Mojica's post. But in bad news for Portnoy/Leviss shippers, the Barstool Sports founder wasted no time in shutting down the gossip.

Dave Portnoy and Rachel "Raquel" Leviss were spotted in Cary, Illinois, around the same time, which initially sparked the rumors. This is notable because the town of Cary — population 18,000 — isn't a hotspot for celebs. Leviss claimed that she was in the area visiting friends while Portnoy was just on the hunt for some good pizza. When asked by a New York Post reporter about his rumored run-in with Leviss, Portnoy reminded everyone that you shouldn't always believe what you hear. "My official statement. I can confirm I've never met that trash bag in my life, and it's wildly insulting to even be mentioned in the same sentence as her," Portnoy wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, referring to Leviss. He continued, "I was eating pizza at Uncle Jerry's though which was spectacular by the way and got an 8.3."

The inflammatory nature of his tweet didn't sit well with reality star Bethenny Frankel, who demanded that Portnoy apologize to Leviss for calling her a "trash bag," according to Page Six. Portnoy was unfazed. "Why? What did I say about [Leviss] that nobody has said a million times?" he asked on a November episode of the "BFFs" podcast. Overall, the Barstool Sports founder seemed to resent being linked to Leviss immediately after his split from Silvana Mojica. "It's kinda wild when I just had a breakup which is hard enough to go through without hearing I f**ked that lady [Leviss]," he told Page Six. Leviss has yet to comment.

Whether or not Rachel "Raquel" Leviss really was visiting friends in Cary, Illinois, at the same time as Dave Portnoy, the reality star has been off the grid since her scandal broke. Per People, Leviss spent two months at a mental health facility in the summer of 2023, and afterward, she cut ties with her old life. In a clear message to fans, Leviss blocked Tom Sandoval on social media and auctioned off his hoodie and necklace for charity. She also expressed reluctance to return to the show, which was a toxic environment for her in the first place. When asked on the "Just B with Bethenny Frankel" podcast whether she would return, Leviss said, "No, because I refuse to not respect myself on that level where I would endure that emotional abuse any longer. ... I can't do that to myself."

Amid the fallout of her affair, Leviss is in no rush to jump back into the dating pool. As evidenced by her lack of commentary on the Portnoy rumors, she doesn't seem to be bothered. In March 2023, the reality star took to Instagram to share her thoughts on moving forward. "I need to take care of my health, work on self growth, and take time to be OK with being alone," she wrote. "Right now I need to heal." As far as we know, she's doing that healing solo — for the moment.