Tom Sandoval DROPS lawsuit against Ariana Madix over explicit videos of Rachel Leviss and FIRES his attorney
Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval broke his silence after suing his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix, claiming she accessed explicit videos of Rachel Leviss on his phone without 'authorization'.
The 40-year-old reality star took to Instagram on Thursday to assert that the lawsuit against Ariana was not intentional, claiming he was misled by his now-fired attorney.
'Late Tuesday afternoon, my attorney, Matt Geragos, whose advice I trusted, called me about the Cross-Complaint in the lawsuit against myself and Ariana,' he began in the message. 'He assured me that the action was customary and strictly preventative in these types of lawsuits and urged me to agree to it.'
He continued: 'The words ‘New Lawsuit’ or ‘Suing’ were not articulated to me. I should’ve done more of my due diligence on the matter. Upon realizing what this action actually means, I have removed Matt Geragos from my legal team.'
'In no way am I suing Ariana. The action against Ariana brought on my behalf is being removed. I had no ill will or vindictiveness toward Ariana. Now, by removing both the Cross-Complaint and the attorney who recommended it, I hope to get through this case quickly, so that Ariana and I can both finally MOVE ON with our lives.'
Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval broke his silence after suing his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix , claiming she accessed explicit videos of Rachel Leviss on his phone without 'authorization'; (seen in January)
The 40-year-old reality star took to Instagram on Thursday to assert that the lawsuit against Ariana was not intentional, claiming he was misled by his now-fired attorney
In the filing, Sandoval alleges that Madix 'obtained access' to his phone on March 1, 2023, and looked at videos on him and Leviss, 29, without his 'authorization or permission' according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly.
Sandoval further claims that Madix 'made copies' of the video and shared it with Leviss and others without his consent.
The scandal goes back to the explosive season 9 finale of Bravo's Vanderpump Rules last year, when cameras captured Madix as she discovered explicit footage of Rachel on her then-boyfriend's phone.
The nearly nine-year relationship between Madix and Sandoval imploded amid the scandal, and Sandoval's subsequent romance with Leviss also ended this past May.
Madix’s attorney, Jordan Susman, responded to Sandoval's claims in a statement on Tuesday, telling Us Weekly, 'It is abhorrent that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix.'
'From engaging in an illicit affair that shattered her home and stability, to months of emotional warfare and now this attempt to further shirk personal responsibility for the effects his actions have had on her and her emotional wellbeing.'
'Tom Sandoval knows full well what sort of privileges he and Ms. Madix shared in regard to their personal communication devices.'
'If he or his mistress had their way, it would be illegal for someone to discover their spouse or significant other was having an affair. For Mr. Sandoval to go from begging Ms. Madix for forgiveness to blaming her for his wrongdoing speaks for itself,' the statement continued.
'Even months after the New York Times branded Mr. Sandoval “the most hated man in America,” he has clearly learned nothing and believes it necessary to continue torturing Ms. Madix in a vain effort to rehabilitate his image. Ms. Madix is confident that a jury will see through this latest ploy and dismiss his frivolous claims.'
It comes after Leviss sued Tom and Ariana for 'revenge porn, eavesdropping and invasion of privacy' following last year's Scandoval drama.
In her filing, Leviss accused Sandoval of violating California's Revenge Porn law by recording sexually charged sex videos without her permission and keeping them on his phone.
One was a FaceTime video Madix reportedly saw when she was looking through Sandoval's phone the night she discovered the Tom Tom co-owner had been cheating on her.
'The words ‘New Lawsuit’ or ‘Suing’ were not articulated to me. I should’ve done more of my due diligence on the matter. Upon realizing what this action actually means, I have removed Matt Geragos from my legal team' he wrote; (Tom and Ariana seen in 2022)
'In no way am I suing Ariana. The action against Ariana brought on my behalf is being removed. I had no ill will or vindictiveness toward Ariana,' he added; (Ariana in 2023)
In the filing, Sandoval alleges that Madix 'obtained access' to his phone on March 1, 2023, and looked at videos on him and Leviss, 29, without his 'authorization or permission'; Leviss seen in April
Sandoval further claims that Madix 'made copies' of the video and shared it with Leviss and others without his consent
Madix’s attorney, Jordan Susman, responded to the claims in a statement, telling Us Weekly, 'It is abhorrent that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix'; She is seen in January
It comes after Leviss sued Tom and Ariana for 'revenge porn, eavesdropping 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 permission and keeping them on his phone; They are seen in 2021
Leviss claimed in her suit that it was her former lover who recorded the explicit FaceTime call.
'Scandoval’ captured the public’s attention in a massive way, went completely viral, and injected new life into Vanderpump Rules,' the complaint, obtained by DailyMail.com, stated.
'It also caused mayhem in Leviss's life, culminating in months-long in-patient treatment at a mental health facility and her departure from the show. Fomented by Bravo and Evolution in conjunction with the cast, Leviss was subjected to a public skewering with little precedent and became, without exaggeration, one of the most hated women in America.'
Tom went on to slam Leviss' lawsuit as he responded to the filing in his own legal documents. He branded it a 'thinly veiled attempt to extend her fame and to rebrand 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 suit labeling him as 'predatory'.
He also said it denigrated his ex-partner as a 'scorned woman,' according to legal documents obtained by People.
In his counter-claim, the cover singer alleged 'These videos were created by Leviss and published by Leviss to Sandoval via a consensual exchange on FaceTime… Based on Leviss’ own allegations, Sandoval merely saved private copies of the videos that Leviss filmed and shared with him.'
He has asked for the case to be dismissed or that Leviss' lawsuit be amended.
Although she has not named Bravo or production company Evolution Media in her lawsuit, Leviss asserts that they, along with other members of the Vanderpump Rules cast subjected her to 'public skewering.'
The scandal goes back to the season 9 finale of Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules last year, when cameras captured Madix as she discovered explicit footage of Rachel on Tom's phone
She also claimed she was lead to believe she was 'contractually barred from speaking out about her mistreatment,' while the rest of the cast benefitted from a huge ratings boost and 'unseen levels of public recognition and professional opportunity,' while Leviss 'suffered in silence.'
Leviss admitted her moral failure and apologized for her part in the affair, but alleged she was 'a victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man, who recorded sexually explicit videos of her without her knowledge or consent.'
She claimed the videos 'were then distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a scorned woman seeking vengeance, catalyzing the scandal,' forcing the former pageant queen to seek treatment at a mental health facility where she stayed for three months.
Leviss is seeking compensatory, special, general and consequential damages.
She wants Sandoval and Madix to cease distribution and destroy all copies of the alleged explicit video.
She's also asking to have her attorney fees compensated and that the court grant any other relief it sees as proper.
In May a judge has ruled that Leviss can move forward with her revenge porn lawsuit, according to Rolling Stone.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court judge found that Leviss' lawsuit adequately alleged her assumption that her intimate FaceTime conversations with Sandoval were 'contemporaneous' and 'confidential.'
Although she was aware she could be recorded, the judge gave merit to the idea that Leviss trusted Sandoval not to save the footage or make copies.
The nearly nine-year relationship between Madix and Sandoval imploded amid the scandal, and Sandoval's subsequent romance with Leviss also ended this past May
Her attorney Bryan Freedman told People in a statement, 'We are pleased with the Court's order, which recognizes that recording someone in sexually compromising ways without her consent violates California law.
'We will be moving forward aggressively to vindicate Rachel's rights,' added Freedman.
Madix filed her own countersuit against Leviss, claiming Leviss was trying to 'punish' and 'blame Ms. Madix for the negative reaction [she] received as a result of her affair.'
Her attorneys said she learned of the couple's affair 'in the worst possible way' when she discovered the video of them 'having phone sex.'
Madix claimed she never shared 'any of the video footage she found' with anyone besides Leviss.
