Current:Home > reviews'Vanderpump Rules' star Rachel Leviss sues Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for revenge porn: Reports -Momentum Wealth Path
'Vanderpump Rules' star Rachel Leviss sues Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for revenge porn: Reports
View
Date:2025-04-16 10:23:42
The "Scandoval" drama is headed to a courtroom.
In the wake of the "Vanderpump Rules" cheating scandal, Rachel "Raquel" Leviss filed a lawsuit against both Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix in Los Angeles on Thursday, alleging revenge porn, invasion of privacy and eavesdropping, according to Deadline and Variety.
In 2023, the Bravo reality show documented Madix discovering that Sandoval, 40, was cheating on her with their co-star, Leviss, 29, after she found a video on his phone that revealed the affair. In the show, Madix, 38, described discovering a screen recording of Sandoval and Leviss on FaceTime.
The complaint says there "is more to the story," though, alleging Leviss 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, which were then distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a scorned woman seeking vengeance, catalyzing the scandal."
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Leviss, Sandoval, Madix and Bravo for comment.
Leviss "became an object of public scorn and ridicule," culminating in her "months-long in-patient treatment at a mental health facility," because of a narrative that was "deliberately fomented by Bravo" and Evolution Media, the production company behind "Vanderpump Rules," the lawsuit argues.
It goes on to claim that Leviss was misled into "believing that she was contractually barred from speaking out about her mistreatment." Bravo refused to allow her an "opportunity to tell her side of the story and defend herself, which she repeatedly begged for permission to do," the suit alleges.
'Vanderpump Rules' cheating scandal:What Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss and Ariana Madix have said
"Meanwhile, Leviss, who was humiliated and villainized for public consumption, remains a shell of her former self, with her career prospects stunted and her reputation in tatters," it states.
"Vanderpump Rules" returned for Season 11 in January, with Leviss no longer a part of the cast. She also did not appear at the annual BravoCon convention in November.
Leviss previously alleged on Bethenny Frankel's "Just B" podcast last year that she didn't know she was being recorded when she was on FaceTime with Sandoval. "I decided to be adventurous and look at the adult section on the TV, and Tom and I FaceTime a lot, so it turned into more of an intimate FaceTime," she said. "I expected to have privacy in that moment."
When Madix subsequently messaged her "two screen-recorded videos and a text that said, 'You're dead to me,'" this is "how I found out that I had been recorded without my consent," Leviss said.
The lawsuit comes a week after Sandoval spoke out about the scandal in a lengthy New York Times Magazine profile, in which he raised eyebrows for comparing it to "the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd." He later apologized, saying he was "incredibly sorry and embarrassed" for the comments.
Tom Sandovalslammed by 'Vanderpump Rules' co-stars for posing with captive tiger
Sandoval faced significant backlash when his cheating was revealed, and the New York Times profile suggested he may be the "most hated man in America." In the interview, he maintained he did what he did "because I was in an unhappy place in my life," and he "got caught up in my emotions and fully fell in love."
Sandoval also said it was "kind of cool and crazy" that the Bravo show received so much attention for the scandal, "even though it's negative and at my expense."
Contributing: Edward Segarra
veryGood! (6478)
Related
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Body of Delta Air Lines worker who died in tire explosion was unrecognizable, son says
- Mega Millions winning numbers for August 27 drawing; Jackpot climbs to $582 million
- Bud Light rolls out limited-edition college football team cans: See which 26 teams made the cut
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Don't Miss Kate Spade Outlet's Labor Day Sale: Chic Bags, Wristlets & More Up to 81% off, Starting at $19
- Fantasy football: Ranking 5 best value plays in 2024 drafts
- Nick Cannon and Brittany Bell's Advanced Son Golden Is Starting 4th Grade at 7 Years Old
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Rohingya refugees mark the anniversary of their exodus and demand a safe return to Myanmar
Ranking
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- 2 Arizona women found dead in overturned vehicle on Mexico highway, police say
- 'Who steals trees?': Video shows man casually stealing trees from front yards in Houston
- Dunkin's pumpkin spice latte is back: See what else is on the fall menu
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Jury returns to deliberations in trial of former politician accused of killing Las Vegas reporter
- Stefanos Tsitsipas exits US Open: 'I'm nothing compared to the player I was before'
- Kaitlyn Bristowe Says She Staged a Funeral Service and Fake Burial for Her Last Relationship
Recommendation
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
Nick Cannon and Brittany Bell's Advanced Son Golden Is Starting 4th Grade at 7 Years Old
Ben Affleck is 'not dating' RFK Jr.'s daughter Kick Kennedy, rep says
Kaitlyn Bristowe Says She Staged a Funeral Service and Fake Burial for Her Last Relationship
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
Channing Tatum Accuses Ex Jenna Dewan of Delay Tactic in Divorce Proceedings
Actress Sara Chase Details “Secret Double Life” of Battling Cancer While on Broadway
Hard Knocks recap: Velus Jones Jr., Ian Wheeler, Austin Reed get one last chance to impress Bears