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Rachel Leviss is breaking her silence for the first time since getting out of rehab, talking about Scandoval, and revealing how she feels she was unfairly labeled as the show's villain despite her castmates pulling off the same conduct in the past.

Leviss sat with 'RHONY' alum Bethenny Frankel on her 'Just B' podcast to explain why she took several months out of the public eye at a mental health facility, saying, "... part of the reason why I wanted to go to a treatment facility was to understand my behaviors and my goal was to really get down to the bottom of, "OK why am I choosing men that are unavailable, why do I keep finding myself in unhealthy relationships, what are the things that I need to change about my behavior?"

Rachel also says she believes it was unfair she took so much hate for her affair with Tom Sandoval, when just about every single other cast member has been involved in cheating.

Leviss says of affairs, "It's bad in normal life, but with producers it's good ... affairs are good for TV."

Then, she turns her attention to Tom and their whirlwind relationship, saying while she felt she was in love with him at the time, she now realizes it wasn't real ... and she doesn't believe he truly loved her, either.

The chat with Bethenny wasn't all defensive, however, saying, "I do want to take a moment though to just acknowledge the hurt that I brought to a lot of people. I was not careful in my actions and I was not thinking long-term. I was completely wrapped up in heartbreak and wanting to get certain needs met."

Rachel also hints at her future with the show, and while she doesn't say it directly, it doesn't sound like she's coming back, stating, "And you mentioned something about the addiction of doing reality TV and the way that they always dangle that carrot in front of you, like, ‘Well, you need to tell your side of the story otherwise it’s gonna be written for you.’ And that’s terrifying. So I almost went back, I know just because of that.”

As we reported, Bethenny is leading the charge in a war against NBC, Bravo and others for what she believes has been the unfair treatment of reality stars over the years -- fueling contestants with booze, ignoring their mental health and adding additional stress.

Unclear if Rachel will join that fight, but we spoke to attorney Bryan Freedman who says he's been contacted by a ton of former stars who all want to join in against the networks.

We covered the drama on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Quinton Aaron -- the man who played Michael Oher in "The Blind Side" -- is furious with those clamoring for Sandra Bullock to lose her Oscar over the new Oher drama ... telling TMZ Sports the actress has absolutely nothing to do with any of it.

The cry for Bullock to be stripped of the award gained steam on X on Tuesday ... with a bunch of users on the app saying following Oher's claims that Leigh Anne Tuohy lied to him and exploited him -- the woman who played her in "The Blind Side" should now face punishment.

As crazy as the opinion sounds -- the cries grew louder and louder throughout the day ... but Aaron told us he hopes all of that dies down quickly.

"To make a statement like that doesn't make any sense," Aaron said. "Sandra Bullock didn't have anything to do with the real story that we're reading as of right now."

Of course, Bullock earned the honor back in 2010 ... after she played the role of Aaron's fictitious mom in the 2009 hit flick. And, Aaron says she couldn't have been more deserving of the praise at the time.

"She gave a brilliant performance," Aaron said. "And that shouldn't be tarnished for something that had nothing to do with her."

Aaron also spoke with us about all of the new allegations surrounding the Tuohys ... and while he said he hasn't talked to them since the movie came out, he didn't get a vibe that anything nefarious was happening with regards to their relationship with Oher.

"I got a good sense from all of them," he said. "They were real cool to me."

As for where things stand now with the Tuohys and Oher ... it's all gotten super ugly, as the family has now accused the former football player of trying to shake them down for $15 million.

Bradley Cooper is being dragged over his portrayal of legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein, and one of the criticisms is at least worth talking about, while the other is utterly ridiculous.

Cooper stars in "Maestro," chronicling the life of the New York Philharmonic conductor, who happens to be Jewish.

One criticism is that Cooper wore a prosthetic nose for the role, which some folks online are calling a "Jewface" stereotype. Point of fact -- Bernstein did have a large nose, so we suppose that's a fair issue to debate.

The ridiculous criticism ... some folks are slamming Cooper, who is not Jewish, and producers for casting him in a role that could have gone to a Jewish actor.

Note to critics -- Bernstein became famous because he was a great conductor who HAPPENED to be Jewish. So if Neil Armstrong were Mormon, should producers only cast a Mormon actor to play him? Absurd.

BTW ... the movie was produced by Steven Spielberg ... 'nuff said.

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner are lighter in their real estate portfolio, but heavier in their pockets as they just sold off their beautiful Miami home.

The two purchased the home for $11 million about a year ago, listed it for $16.995M and eventually sold it for $15M. Definitely an impressive profit over such a short period of time, but they also reportedly did some renovations on the pad, so you gotta account for that too.

The lucky owners of the 10,400 sqft home will enjoy its tall ceilings, renovated kitchen and a ton of windows to take in all that Miami sunshine.

There's also a beautiful pool in the backyard with direct water access and a dock for any potential boaters. Carl Gambino of Compass held the listing.

Unclear why Joe and Sophie made the decision to unload the place so quickly, but they've got two small kiddos ... so maybe they've decided to go elsewhere and potentially continue to expand their fam.

Todd Chrisley isn't irked at all by his family starting a new reality series while he's locked up in prison -- in fact, he thinks it's a fantastic idea.

Jay Surgent, Todd's attorney, tells TMZ ... the reality star is "thrilled and happy" members of his family are launching the new show, and hopes it'll depict the devastation his family has been facing since he and Julie were sent to prison at the beginning of this year.

Translation: It's all good, as long as no one's smiling! Less joy, more pain.

We're told Todd will not be a part of the show, but their kids Chase, Savannah, Grayson, and adopted daughter, Chloe -- as well as Todd's mom, Nanny Faye -- are all reportedly starring in the new series, picking up after Todd and Julie started doing their time.

TMZ broke the story, Todd claims he's been severely mistreated while locked up at FPC Pensacola -- allegedly dealing with things like photos being taken of him while sleeping, his mail not being delivered to him and no AC in Florida's summer conditions.

What's more, Todd's now telling Jay he has no way of contacting him from inside prison -- Jay's allegedly blocked from Todd's mail, phone and email lists, but the attorney has no clue why ... and says he can't get answers from prison administration.

For what it's worth, we're told Jay is able to set up appointments to speak with Todd, through the help of Todd's prison counselor.

A woman's life turned upside-down when she sent a bunch of money to one of the stars from "Stranger Things" ... and even divorced her husband because the "actor" told her to.

McKayla, a single mom from Kentucky, claims she was catfished and scammed out of $10k by someone who claimed to be Dacre Montgomery -- known for playing heartthrob-turned-villain, Billy Hargrove, in the Netflix series.

She shared her wild experience on the YouTube channel, Catfished, saying the 2 met on an online forum and chatted for a year before he asked her to be his girlfriend -- for reference, McKayla was still married, but claimed her relationship with her husband was toxic.

BTW, the real Dacre has been dating model Liv Pollock since 2017, but that bit of crucial info didn't seem to stop McKayla from thinking this was legit. He told her to choose between her husband and him ... and shockingly enough, she ditched her husband!

He also told her he couldn't access any of his bank accounts, saying they were all controlled by Liv ... which led to her sending the $10k of gift cards, crypto, and cash through payment apps over time.

Quavo's swinging for the fences with his new album ... using the Atlanta Braves' stadium as his stage to give ATL a taste of the project!!!

The Atlanta rapper hyped the crowd inside Truist Park ahead of the Braves vs. Yankees game with his unreleased single "Who Wit Me?" ... a chant he got the crowd repeating on command.

The track will appear on Quavo's "Rocket Power" album that drops Friday -- the title being a nod to his late nephew Takeoff, who Quavo also honored by wearing the commemorative merchandise he recently launched to celebrate Takeoff's birthday.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's son, Christopher, is in the middle of an impressive transformation ... looking super fit as he steps for a workout.

25-year-old Christopher hit up a gym Tuesday in L.A., and while it wasn't his dad's iconic spot -- Gold's Gym in Venice -- it's clear he's been putting in the kinda fitness work for which his dad became famous. Just check the muscles poppin' outta Christopher's sleeves!

Christopher started his weight loss journey back in 2020 ... and while he tends to keep a lower public profile than the rest of his fam, it's easy to see how much more fit he's gotten over the last 3 years.

Arnold congratulated Christopher on his exercise regimen on his 24th birthday, writing, "Between your boxing classes, your weightlifting classes, your stretching classes, your cycling classes, and on and on, I can’t even keep up with you!"

BTW, he and his brothers -- Patrick and Joseph -- have all been working hard on their physique, walking in pops' footsteps.

Lisa Vanderpump's iconic PUMP restaurant is parking next to TomTom for good ... TMZ has learned, and the decision is a huge relief for fans of the hotspot.

Lisa tells TMZ ... the Garden Bar at TomTom -- a spot directly next to LVP, Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval's eatery -- didn't really have its own identity, despite the signage up front, so she and her hubby, Ken Todd, are making it PUMP's new home.

She says there will be a great dynamic between the WeHo restaurants -- PUMP offers more of a sit-down restaurant vibe, whereas TomTom is more bar food and drinks ... so it'll be nice to have both options at the same location.

We're told they're bringing over a lot of the food and cocktails from the OG restaurant, as well as the same chef and many of the servers. As for an opening date, Lisa tells us it won't be long at all -- they just need the chef to get familiar with the new kitchen.

Tori Kelly must be feeling a whole lot better after her major health scare … because she’s hitting the road for a nationwide tour and in Canada.

The Grammy-winning singer announced her plans for "The Take Control Tour" on Instagram Tuesday, writing, "It’s been too long." She gave a list of tour dates, beginning on September 10 in Toronto, Ontario, before moving on to a number of American cities, including L.A. and NYC.

Fans can DM Tori to snag presale tickets at 9 AM today -- others can purchase general admission tickets Thursday through her website.

This is great news for Tori, who was hospitalized with serious blood clots last month. TMZ broke the story … Tori was having dinner with friends at a downtown L.A. restaurant when she passed out and was rushed to the hospital.

Colombian singer Manuel Turizo is makin' moves after his recent collab with Shakira ... because he's now working with the Mexican-American mega group, Grupo Frontera.

TMZ's learned Manuel and the popular band are joining forces for a new song and music video, called "De Lunes a Lunes"  -- something they're planning on officially announcing in the coming weeks.

TMZ has obtained some shots of Manuel and Grupo Frontera on set in Miami last week shooting the music vid ... and they all seemed to be gettin' along pretty damn well.

The guys came together because they're big fans of each other and wanted to collab on a new sound, combining each of their styles.

As you know, Manuel's track with Shakira, "Copa Vacía," has blown up since dropping in June, and he's got a lot going for him right now.

He was nominated for the Rolling Stone En Español Awards Monday, and he closed out La casa de los famosos -- the Spanish language version of "Celebrity Big Brother" -- with a performance.

NYC native and American actor Jason Patric was in his early 20s when he became known for his movie characters, such as playing Michael Emerson -- the handsome and laid-back guy -- in "The Lost Boys" back in 1987 and Jim Raynor -- the undercover narcotics officer -- in "Rush" back in 1991.

Some of his other early notable parts include "Sleepers" with Kevin Bacon and Brad Pitt and "Speed 2: Cruise Control" with Sandra Bullock.

During the mid 2000s, Patric veered from the movie screen to the Broadway stage ... appearing in shows like "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" and "That Champion Season."

A scary situation for "Teen Mom" star Jenelle Evans, as cops are currently looking for her 14-year-old son, Jace, who has been reported as a runaway ... TMZ has learned.

Deputies with the Brunswick Co. Sheriff's Department in North Carolina put out an alert for a runaway juvenile. Officers say Jace was last seen leaving school around 2:45 PM Tuesday, wearing a gray sweatshirt with the writing "Classical Charter Schools of America."

Cops say Jace could also be wearing a navy shirt if he's no longer wearing the sweatshirt. Anyone with information in the area is asked to call 911.

Unclear what happened to cause Jace to run away, but we spoke to Jenelle's mom, Barbara, who tells she had a conversation with him Monday night and he seemed totally fine.

Barbara says she also reached out to Jenelle earlier Tuesday to see how she was doing -- Jenelle's been publicly feuding with her husband, David Eason -- but Jenelle allegedly told Barbara she didn't want to talk and to leave her alone.

It was back in March when Jenelle got full custody of Jace from her mother, Barbara. Barbara got custody of Jace when he was much younger and Jenelle was unable to support him on her own -- with personal and legal issues.

A hairy situation unfolded during a furry meetup at the beach ... after things turned physical and one man was conked in the head with a megaphone.

The fist-to-paw scuffle went down in Huntington Beach Saturday -- according to the video, the furry donning a pirate hat used their megaphone to push up against the man who was filming, threatening to force them to leave if he didn't do so willingly.

Things turned ugly fast ... the furry whacked him in the head with the megaphone, and more folks rushed over to the scene as things were taken to the sand. Another furry even came into the mix as the crowd grew around them.

The man who took the beating started screaming after the brawl was over ... shouting, "This is what furries do to you!" Unclear exactly what led to all of this -- but some online claimed the guy filming them was what set the whole thing off.

Tan Mom is throwing her hat in the ring to become the next U.S. Senator from the state of Florida.

Patricia Krentcil, the government name we assume she'd use in D.C., filed paperwork Monday with the Federal Elections Commission to officially run for U.S. Senate in 2024.

Tan Mom's Senate campaign comes on the heels of her latest reality TV show, "Tan to 10," a docuseries following her attempt to quit tanning as part of what she calls an "extreme life makeover."

Patricia says she forged a bond with the LGBTQ+ community during her life makeover and she wants to use those connections to spark change in Washington D.C. with her Senate bid.

Tan Mom -- a frequent guest on "The Howard Stern Show" -- is going up against incumbent Senator Rick Scott, so she's fighting an uphill battle here ... but she's already launched her campaign website and is running as a Republican based out of Boca Raton, naming her producers Gregg Maliff and Adam Barta as her campaign managers.

A single mother to 5 children, Tan Mom says her campaign platforms include LGBTQ+ equality and bringing diversity back to the classrooms -- both hot-button issues in the Sunshine State -- and she's aiming to connect with voters during a slew of upcoming community appearances,

Tan Mom tells TMZ ... "I know that I am different. And I have suffered for it. But us all being different is what makes this country so amazing and unique."

Aaron Rodgers is used to dropping jaws with his arm, but at a recent Jets team meeting, he was the one in awe -- absolutely awestruck over a wild magic trick that featured a real, live goldfish!

The guys over at "Hard Knocks" dropped the footage of the hocus pocus in a teaser for this week's episode of the hit show ... revealing Rodgers and his teammates were enthralled by some sleight of hand from famed mentalist Oz Pearlman.

In the clip, you can see Pearlman asking Rodgers to pick one of his favorite cards after going through a deck of 52 ... before he correctly guesses the quarterback had taken the three of diamonds.

But, the trick didn't stop there, because he then asks New York safeties coach Marquand Manuel what animal he had been thinking of earlier in the trick.

"A goldfish? Seriously?" Pearlman asks. "I got you. Look in your hands, Aaron."

Sure enough, Rodgers was then holding a goldfish in a clear case ... rather than the deck of cards he had believed he was fondling.

The trick baffled Rodgers -- as well as everyone else in the room, who all screamed out in shock.