Rachel Leviss has broken her silence following the recent arrest of her ex-fiancé, James Kennedy, for domestic violence.
On Friday, Dec. 13, Rachel took to Instagram Stories to share her thoughts. She posted a screenshot of a TMZ headline about James’ arrest, which read: “James Kennedy DV Arrest Was a Misunderstanding!!!! Gf Ally Standing By DJ.” Over it, she shared a link to her April podcast episode, titled “Bad At Love,” and added a comment that hinted at her own painful experiences: “The amount of times I convinced myself that the abuse I endured by James Kennedy Georgiou was a ‘misunderstanding’ is sickening.”
James, who is 32, was arrested on Dec. 10 after police were called to his Los Angeles home for an argument between him and a woman. The Burbank Police Department confirmed that after investigating, they determined it was a domestic violence incident. James was arrested on a misdemeanor charge and later released on $20,000 bail, with formal charges still under review.
According to TMZ, a witness allegedly saw James get physical with the unnamed woman, but when officers arrived, they didn’t find any visible injuries. It’s still unclear whether the woman involved was James’ girlfriend, Ally Lewber, though the couple had attended Kathy Hilton’s holiday party together earlier that evening.
James and Ally started dating in early 2022, just six weeks after James and Rachel called off their engagement. The former couple had been together for five years before breaking things off in late 2021.
Rachel’s attorneys, Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman, issued a statement following James’ arrest, alleging a pattern of troubling behavior. “This news is, unfortunately, not surprising,” they said. “Rachel’s lawsuit describes, in significant detail, Mr. Kennedy’s long history of erratic, violent behavior and substance abuse.”
The statement also took aim at NBC and Vanderpump Rules production company Evolution, accusing them of covering up James’ alleged actions for years. “They, too, bear responsibility,” the attorneys claimed.
James’ legal team responded with their own statement, saying they were conducting their own investigation. “We understand that there were no injuries, and we hope that, after careful review, the city’s attorneys will decide not to file formal charges,” they said.
Rachel has previously spoken about her tumultuous relationship with James, which she described in a legal case involving her ex, Tom Sandoval, and his former girlfriend, Ariana Madix. In that lawsuit, Rachel detailed her struggles with James’ alleged explosive behavior and ongoing substance abuse issues during their time together.
According to Rachel, James frequently berated her, accused her of cheating, and exhibited volatile behavior. While some of it played out in front of cameras, she claimed much of it happened behind the scenes. Rachel even warned James that she would leave him if he didn’t stop drinking.
For Rachel, James’ arrest has brought back painful memories, but she’s making it clear she won’t stay silent about her past experiences.
