Charli Burnett and Raquel Leviss are a real dichotomy of former beauty pageant participants. If Raquel is the poster child for pageant girls gone wrong, then Charli has a solid head on her shoulders. She left that ecosystem and was able to work and function within acceptable parameters of societal norms.
By contrast, Raquel got herself involved in the biggest reality TV scandal in recent memory. Talk about that crown weighing heavy.
Charli was supportive of Raquel during the Vanderpump Rules cast trip to Vegas, where Katie Maloney celebrated her divorce. Yet in real-time, the SUR server said that she became uncomfortable with Raquel’s behavior. During a recent interview on the Viall Files, Charli claimed to have cut ties with Raquel before news of her affair with Tom Sandoval even broke.
Charli thinks “being pretty” was Raquel’s identity
In one notable moment of Season 10, Raquel cries to Peter Madrigal about competing in pageants for the last time that year. The reality star seemed lost and seeking identity. Charli thought that Scandoval, the kiss with Tom Schwartz, and pretty much all the questionable behavior that season stemmed from Raquel still functioning in the mindset of a wannabe pageant queen.
“I just think that she just never maybe grew from the place we were at 18 when we were doing pageants. And she had this idea that her life was supposed to pan out. And I honestly think that pageants were the reason why she did this,” Charli told host Nick Viall.
Perhaps Raquel’s lack of any goals or ambitions kept her in that emotionally stunted place. The VPR star seemed to think so.
“When you work in an environment where you’re always competing against other women and you don’t grow from that standpoint. And you don’t grow as a person. And you search for that validation with everything that you did in pageants, it goes into other areas in your life,” Charli continued.
To Raquel’s detriment, Charli suggested that she, “never grew out of seeking validation.” And that “being pretty” was the only way to get that validation.
Nick interjected, “Or like Ariana [Madix] said, kind of tied up in men.” Charli responded, “Yeah, because that’s been a stamp of approval. You’re good enough. You’re worthy enough.”
This theory also makes sense in regard to Raquel’s combative nature towards the other female cast members. Especially Lala Kent, who also concluded that Raquel seeks identity from men.
Catch the Vanderpump Rules Reunion on May 24 at 9/8c on Bravo. Perhaps Charli confronted Raquel with this theory at the taping.
TELL US- DO YOU THINK PAGEANTS NEGATIVELY AFFECTED RAQUEL? DOES SHE SEEK VALIDATION IN HER APPEARANCE? WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO CHARLI’S COMMENTS?