Tom and Rachel's Shocking Postcard Scandal Lights up 'Vanderpump Rules'

So, remember #Scandoval? Well, get ready to have your socks knocked off because Vanderpump Rules co-stars Tom Sandoval and Rachel "Raquel" Leviss took it to a whole new (and utterly wild) level while she was at a mental health treatment center. Yes, even with Rachel away, these lovebirds were determined to keep the sparks flying!

Despite insisting they were broken up, Rachel couldn't resist sending heartfelt letters to Tom, who happened to share a roof with his ex, Ariana Madix. But wait, there's more! Rachel also sent a postcard adorned with a lightning bolt — if you're not in the loop, that bolt spells MAJOR drama. Want to know more? Keep reading for all the juicy details.

Now, let's provide some context! In the explosive Part 3 of Vanderpump Rules Season 10 reunion, Rachel spilled the beans about buying a lightning bolt necklace to match the iconic one sported by none other than Tom Sandoval. She proudly flaunted it on camera because it was "significant to who [Sandoval] became in my life."

But wait — the plot thickens because in May 2023, Scheana Shay's husband, Brock Davies, spilled the pipping-hot tea on the podcast When Reality Hits. Brock shockingly revealed that Rachel sent a postcard with a lightning bolt on it to Tom and Ariana's shared home.

"The postcard was [from] Sedona [Ariz.] with a lightning bolt in Sedona, and she sends a postcard, so it's there for her [Madix] to read," he said, per Page Six. He dubbed Rachel a "calculated" person, as she upgraded from sending sealed envelopes (which are illegal for Ariana to open) to flashy postcards, spelling out the message for all to see.

He added, "It was a postcard, it wasn't a f--king closed envelope. It was because she wanted you guys to read it — are you kidding me?"

At the time, Ariana explained on an episode of Watch What Happens Live that she caught sight of handwritten letters Rachel was sending to Tom to their shared home — though she was legally barred from opening them.

During the Jan. 17, 2024, episode of her podcast, Rachel Goes Rogue, the ex-Vanderpump Rules star opened up about those letters she sent to Tom. She even confessed she's convinced Tom was secretly hoping Ariana would catch wind of those letters, especially that lightning bolt postcard.

Originally, she was sending those letters straight to Tom Schwartz's doorstep, trying to keep it all hush-hush. But that plan hit the brakes when Schwartz decided he was done being friends with the cheater. So, Sandoval swooped in and told Rachel to redirect her letters to his place. Rachel worried about Ariana finding her letters, but Tom assured her his assistant was on standby to snatch those letters before Ariana could so much as peek at them.

"I remember sending a letter out, and then a few days later, I sent a postcard which had freaking stupid lightning bolts in the way that it was like a storm cloud lightning bolt in Arizona," Rachel said on her podcast. "I got a stamp from the bookstore, just a tiny little postcard stamp, and I thought it was cute."

Rachel continued, "I made a bad decision to send it to the house because I trusted that Tom would make sure that his assistant would get it. And, of course, the day I sent it out, Ariana went on Watch What Happens Live and said that we were sending letters to each other and that she found the letters."

"So ... that sucked because I was like, 'This letter is already sent out, and I can't take it back now, like, Tom, I need you to check the mail every single morning and make sure that you get that postcard before Ariana sees it,'" she recalled telling Tom. "He promised that he would ... I don't think he really gave a f–k. I think maybe he wanted her to see it."

Catch new episodes of Vanderpump Rules on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on Bravo.