Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval is suing his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix, claiming she watched explicit videos of Rachel Leviss on his phone without her “consent.”
Sandoval, 40, alleges that on March 1, 2023, Madix, 39, “accessed” his phone and watched videos of him and Leviss, 29, without his “authorization or consent,” according to court documents obtained by We weekly.
Sandoval further alleges that Madix made “copies” of the video and shared them with Leviss and others without his consent.
The scandal dates back to the explosive season finale of Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules last year, when cameras captured Madix discovering explicit footage of Rachel on her then-boyfriend’s phone.
The nearly nine-year relationship between Madix and Sandoval fell apart over the scandal, and the subsequent romance between Sandoval and Leviss also ended last May.
Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval is suing ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix, alleging she watched explicit videos of Rachel Leviss on his phone without ‘authorization’; Seen in 2022
Sandoval, 40, alleges that Madix, 39, “accessed” his phone last year and watched videos of him and Leviss, 29, without his “authorization or consent,” according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly; Leviss seen in April
Madix’s attorney, Jordan Susman, responded to Sandoval’s claims in a statement Tuesday, writing to Us Weekly: “It is appalling that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix.”
‘From an extramarital affair that undermined her home life and stability, to months of emotional warfare and now this attempt to further avoid personal responsibility for the consequences his actions have had on her and her emotional well-being.’
“Tom Sandoval knows all too well the privileges he and Ms. Madix shared with respect to their personal communications devices.”
“If he or his mistress had their way, it would be illegal for anyone to discover that their spouse or partner was having an affair. That Mr. Sandoval went from begging Ms. Madix for forgiveness to blaming her for his misconduct speaks for itself,” the statement continued.
‘Even months after the New York Times labeled Mr. Sandoval “the most hated man in America,” he has clearly learned nothing and finds it necessary to continue torturing Ms. Madix in a futile attempt to rehabilitate his image. Ms. Madix is confident that a jury will see through this latest ploy and reject his frivolous claims.’
The reason for this is that Leviss has sued Tom and Ariana for ‘revenge porn, wiretapping and invasion of privacy’, following last year’s Scandoval drama.
In her complaint, Leviss accused Sandoval of violating California’s revenge porn law by recording sexually explicit sex videos without her consent and saving them on his phone.
One of those was a FaceTime video Madix allegedly saw when she looked at Sandoval’s phone the night she discovered the Tom Tom co-owner was cheating.
Sandoval further alleges that Madix made “copies” of the video and shared them with Leviss and others without his consent.
Madix’s attorney, Jordan Susman, responded to the claims in a statement, telling Us Weekly: “It is appalling that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix”; she was seen in January
It comes after Leviss sued Tom and Ariana for ‘revenge porn, wiretapping and invasion of privacy’ following last year’s Scandoval drama; Seen in 2022
Leviss accused Sandoval of violating California’s revenge porn law by recording sexually charged sex videos without her consent and keeping them on his phone; they aired in 2021
Leviss alleged in her lawsuit that it was her former lover who recorded the FaceTime call.
‘Scandoval’ captured the public’s attention in a huge way, went viral and breathed new life into Vanderpump Rules,” the complaint, obtained by DailyMail.com, reads.
“It also caused chaos in Leviss’ life, culminating in months of inpatient treatment in a psychiatric facility and her departure from the show. Fueled by Bravo and Evolution in collaboration with the cast, Leviss was subjected to a public ridicule of little precedent and became, without exaggeration, one of the most hated women in America.”
Tom went on to criticize Leviss’ lawsuit when he responded to the filing in his own legal documents, calling it a “thinly veiled attempt to boost her fame and re-brand herself as the victim instead of the other woman.”
Sandoval, who cried on camera after Leviss claimed she never loved him during their seven-month affair, took issue with the charges, which labeled him “predatory.”
He also said he had portrayed his ex-partner as a “despised woman,” according to legal documents obtained by People.
In his counterclaim, the covers singer alleged that “these videos were filmed by Leviss and released by Leviss to Sandoval through a consensual exchange on FaceTime… Based on Leviss’ own allegations, Sandoval merely has private copies of the videos that Leviss filmed and shared with him.”
He has requested that the case be dismissed or that Leviss’s charges be amended.
Though she does not name Bravo or production company Evolution Media in her lawsuit, Leviss alleges that she, along with other Vanderpump Rules cast members, “publicly bullied” her.
The scandal dates back to the season finale of Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules last year, when cameras caught Madix discovering explicit footage of Rachel on Tom’s phone
She also alleged that she was led to believe that she was “contractually forbidden from discussing her abuse,” while the rest of the cast enjoyed a huge boost in ratings and “an unprecedented level of public recognition and professional opportunities,” while Leviss “suffered in silence.”
Leviss admitted to moral lapses and apologized for her role in the affair, but also claimed that she was “the victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man who made sexually explicit videos of her without her knowledge or consent.”
She alleged that the videos were “then circulated, disseminated and publicly discussed by a scorned woman seeking revenge, fueling the scandal” that forced the former pageant queen to seek treatment at a mental health facility, where she stayed for three months.
Leviss is claiming punitive damages, special damages, general damages and consequential damages.
She wants Sandoval and Madix to stop distributing the alleged explicit video and destroy all copies of it.
She also requests compensation for her legal fees and that the court take other appropriate measures.
In May, a judge ruled that Leviss can continue her revenge porn lawsuit, according to Rolling stone.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that Leviss correctly argued in her lawsuit that her intimate FaceTime conversations with Sandoval were “contemporaneous” and “confidential.”
Although she knew she could be filmed, the judge found that Leviss trusted that Sandoval would not keep the footage or make copies of it.
Madix and Sandoval’s nearly nine-year relationship imploded amid the scandal, and Sandoval’s subsequent romance with Leviss also ended last May
Her attorney Bryan Freedman said People in a statement: “We are pleased with the court’s ruling, which recognizes that recording someone in a sexually compromising manner without her consent is a violation of California law.
“We will do everything we can to defend Rachel’s rights,” Freedman added.
Madix filed her own countersuit against Leviss, alleging that Leviss attempted to “punish” and “blame” Ms. Madix for the negative response. [she] received as a result of her affair.’
According to her lawyers, she learned about the couple’s affair in “the worst possible way” when she discovered a video of them “having sex over the phone.”
Madix claimed she had not shared “any of the video footage she found” with anyone other than Leviss.