Heavy/Getty Rachel Leviss.
Rachel Leviss is considering going by a new name one year after she dropped her “Raquel” moniker.
In May 2024, the former “Vanderpump Rules” star surprised fans with the idea after going by her high school nickname, Rocky, while at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival. Leviss attended the music and wellness festival held in Buena Vista Lake, California, over the Memorial Day weekend.
Here’s what you need to know:
Fans Had a Big Reaction to Rachel Leviss’ Post About Her Name
On May 29, Leviss posted Instagram photos taken at the Lightning in a Bottle festival. The ex-Bravo star wore a mesh skirt, pink cowgirl hat, and a t-shirt that said “Treat People With Love” as she posed by a lake.
She captioned the post with, “Day 2 of @libfestival I embraced the name Rocky. Close friends used to call me Rocky back in high school. It felt suiting for the weekend. What do we think? 🧚🏻✨🌞”
Leviss also shared an Instagram story from the day, which she captioned, ”Hi my name is Rachel. But you can call me Rocky Bang Bang.”
Fans reacted to Leviss’ name change posts in the comment section.
“Feels like you’re trying to create another identity why is it so hard to just be Rachel?” one fan replied on Instagram.
“Maybe you could just try being your genuine self for a while? “ another suggested.
“Girl let’s just stick with one name for a while ok?” a third commenter chimed in.
“Stop picking new names and just live your life girl,” another agreed.
Others told Leviss that the same Rocky is “cute” and told her to ignore the haters.
Leviss previously alluded to her high school nickname days before she was caught in the shocking cheating Scandoval scandal with Tom Sandoval. During a March 2023 Q&A with Page Six, Leviss was asked to read her last text from Tom Schwartz. She revealed that it said, “Rock, come kick it with us tomorrow. See ya mañana.”
Rachel Leviss Went Back to Her Birth Name After Scandoval
GettyRaquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval in October 2022.
Leviss was first introduced to “Vanderpump Rules” fans as Raquel. She joined the show as James Kennedy’s girlfriend in 2016, per IMDb.
But after her involvement in the cheating scandal, Leviss’ haters began referring to her by her birth name, Rachel. Several “Vanderpump Rules’ stars also refused to call the former pageant queen by Raquel and used the name Rachel to insinuate that she was a phony.
In July 2024, TMZ reported that Leviss decided to take control and not let her critics use her birth name as a weapon. “Her therapists explained to her, her detractors had weaponized the name ‘Rachel’ to hurt her,” an insider claimed. Leviss was advised to take back her birth name and embrace it in an attempt to settle down the “trolls.”
Another source told Entertainment Tonight, “After months of therapy, Rachel decided she wanted to go by her government name moving forward.”
Soon after, Leviss changed her name on her social media accounts and launched the “Rachel Goes Rogue” podcast.
On May 31, Leviss posted to Instagram to state that she lost 8,000 followers since sharing her festival photos.
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Rachel Leviss Teases Another Name Change & Fans Have Questions