Raquel Leviss on James Kennedy's "Rage Texts": "I am Not Tolerating This Behavior Any Longer"

We saw a different side to James Kennedy and Raquel Leviss' relationship during the March 3 episode of Vanderpump Rules. Raquel shared that after a night out with the girls, she was met with several angry text messages from her longtime boyfriend.

When Raquel confronted James about the texts, as well as his behavior when he drinks, it was first met with resistance from the DJ, who stormed out of their apartment during the conversation (clip above). But then James returned, and he responded positively to Raquel's ultimatum that he quit drinking, agreeing to get help.

Raquel opened up about what it was like watching these moments back in a post on Instagram on March 3. "Tonight’s episode is an emotional one for me. I teared up watching it back, seeing the exact moment our relationship took a turn for the better," she wrote. "I am not tolerating this behavior any longer and James’ decision to take his sobriety seriously means the absolute world to me. So proud of you @itsjameskennedy."

James got similarly choked up while reliving this Vanderpump Rules moment. "I teared up just reading this and seeing this photo," he wrote in the comments to Raquel's Instagram post. "I love you so much Raqs."

James also addressed his texts to Raquel during his March 3 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. "The way I was talking to Raquel was completely unacceptable, and I really had to do a self-evaluation this year. I think that some choices had to be made, and I think that I've made them," he explained. "Going back and looking like I was trying to blame Raquel was absolutely ridiculous. It was completely my fault, my [idiocy], and I completely regret it."

He opened up more about how difficult it is to watch these moments with Raquel this season of Vanderpump Rules during an interview with The Daily Dish in New York City prior to his appearance on WWHL. "It's painful for me to watch the way I spoke to Raquel, for sure. It's disrespectful, it's ugly, it's cringeworthy, and I don't want to be that guy," James shared. "You do see a change in that as the season goes by, obviously, because I start learning about myself and how I treat others really affects them." 

James said that his drinking was the cause of his conflict with Raquel this season. "It would be in a pattern of me going out, waking up hungover, and not wanting to talk about these situations," he recalled. "So therefore, I shut it out by being disrespectful."

Now that James has turned his life around and is currently nine months sober, he has also changed how he interacts with other people. "All these years I've been a bit of a loose cannon, short fuse. I feel like my fuse is longer now. I can definitely deal with people talking s--t to me than I did before," he said. "Before I would just be like, 'Shut the f--k up, you piece of s--t!' Now it's just like I really don't care. And if you do get to me, like to the point where I do care or really under my skin, I'll just walk away from the situation, hopefully."

Get ready, world! The new-and-improved James Kennedy is here to stay. "The humility that comes with all of this is a beautiful thing because now I can move forward just knowing that I'm on an honest, better page. It just feels a lot lighter," he said. "I am who I am, and I'm not hiding s--t anymore, and it just feels good."

Want more Vanderpump Rules? New episodes air every Tuesday at 9/8c or catch up on this season through the Bravo app.

Check out a preview of the next episode of Vanderpump Rules, below.

James Kennedy Finally Agrees to Attend His Very First AA Meeting

Photo: Raquel Leviss/Instagram