Heavy/Pixabay James Kennedy reunited with his dog.
James Kennedy shared happy news with fans. The “Vanderpump Rules” star posted photos to Instagram to reveal that he has reunited with Graham, the dog he previously shared with his ex, Raquel Leviss.
In March 2023, Leviss’ affair with her co-star Tom Sandoval was revealed, and amid the backlash, she checked herself into a mental health facility soon after. According to TMZ, Leviss left the facility in early July. And while she has yet to be spotted as the rest of the cast films the new season in Lake Tahoe, Kennedy revealed that his beloved “Graham Cracker” was with him on the cast trip.
Here’s what you need to know:
James Kennedy Posed for Photos With Graham in Lake Tahoe
In photos shared to Instagram on July 19, 2023, Kennedy was pictured nuzzling Graham as they posed by the lake for a scenic shot. A second photo showed the “Vanderpump Rules” star and his girlfriend, Ally Lewber, holding the goldendoodle pup while on a boat.
Kennedy captioned the post with an update: “Look who made his way back home, back into my life, I’ll take care of you forever and I love you.”
Leviss did not appear to be in Lake Tahoe with the great of the cast. According to Life & Style, she was photographed near her family’s home in Tucson, Arizona, on the same day that Kennedy was photographed reunited with Graham.
Fans reacted in the comment section, with some wondering why Leviss would give up her dog. Others reasoned that the exes could be sharing Graham in the way that their co-stars Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney share custody of their two dogs, Butter and Gordo VonFriendenheimer.
An insider claimed to TMZ that the Vanderpump Dog Foundation reconnected Kennedy with Graham after Leviss began having behavioral problems with the dog.
On July 21, Leviss’ mom Laura issued a statement to Entertainment Tonight to explain why Graham is no longer living with their family. In her statement, Laura explained that when her daughter went to a mental health facility in April 2023, she took care of Graham, but during that time the dog became aggressive and bit her finger “to the bone.”
“I saw two doctors for the wound that suggested he be euthanized, which we absolutely declined,” Laura stated. She instead sent Graham to a trainer at California Doodle Rescue in May 2023, where the dog allegedly bit both the trainer and her husband. “They still worked with him more to get him to a place where he could be adopted. He was placed with a new owner and was returned within three days after also biting her,” Laura told the outlet.
The rescue then contacted Lisa Vanderpump, who offered to adopt Graham, and he was picked up by Vanderpump Dogs Rescue on July 13, 2023.
Heavy reached out to reps for both Kennedy and Leviss but did not hear back.
James Kennedy Previously Said Graham Was ‘In the Past’
In 2018, Leviss’ parents gave her Graham as a present when she graduated from college, but Kennedy helped raise the dog from the time he was a puppy. The couple even hosted a “Puppy Shower” in a 2019 episode of the Bravo reality show.
But after the two ended their engagement in December 2021, Leviss took full custody of the dog. During a 2022 appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” Kennedy explained the situation.
“Raquel always made it clear that Graham was her dog because her mom got it for her as a graduation present,” he said. “And then the next day we moved into our apartment together, so technically Graham Cracker is her dog even though we raised him together.”
“I’ll always love the little guy and I do miss him right now,” the DJ added.
Leviss ultimately set “boundaries” with Kennedy and stopped letting him see Graham. In early 2023, Kennedy told Cohen he believed it was for the best.
“I have healed from that now,” Kennedy said on “Watch What Happens Live.” “I don’t want to end up like Schwartz and Katie with Gordo and Butters doing the divorcee, picking up the dog every week… see your ex every week to pick up the dogs, like please. Save my life. Let me live.”
According to BravoTV.com, in April 2023, Kennedy revealed that he had let Graham Cracker go. “I’ve left Graham in the past now. Beautiful times, but he’s gone and that’s just what it is,” he said at the time.
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