Tom Sandoval Sues Ariana Madix for Accessing Explicit Videos of Rachel Leviss Without ‘Permission’

Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval is suing ex Ariana Madix for accessing explicit videos of Rachel "Raquel" Leviss on his cell phone without his "permission." Sandoval, 40, filed court documents obtained by Us Weekly on July 16, claiming that Madix, 39, accessed his phone on March 1, 2023, and watched the videos of Sandoval and Leviss, 29, without his "authorization or permission."

The documents also accuse the Love Island USA host of having "made copies" of the video and distributed it to "Leviss and third parties." Following the filing, Madix's attorney, Jordan Susman, responded in a statement to Us Weekly, calling the lawsuit "abhorrent" and an effort to "further shirk personal responsibility" for the affair he had with Leviss, which was discovered in Season 10 of the Bravo show and resulted in the end of Madix's longtime relationship with Sandoval. 

"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," Susman said. "Tom Sandoval knows full well what sort of privileges he and Ms. Madix shared in regard to their personal communication devices."

The statement continued: "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. 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."

Sandoval and Madix are currently embroiled in legal drama surrounding the house they share as well as the lawsuit Leviss filed against the two on February 29. Leviss has accused Madix and Sandoval of eavesdropping, revenge porn and an invasion of privacy in regards to the aforementioned explicit footage, while both Madix and Sandoval have countersued in response.

Sandoval's attorney, Matthew Geragos, who is the brother of Leviss' attorney, Mark Geragos, responded in a subsequent statement to the outlet that his client "accepts responsibility for his affair" but "strongly denies the allegations of the lawsuit filed by Rachel Leviss against him and Ms. Madix." The attorney claimed that the "cross complaint" filed by Sandoval was "in order to ensure a fair and just determination of responsibility among all parties involved" and that the "customary legal action" was "was crucial to ensure that liability, if any, is fairly distributed based on the actual level of involvement and fault of each party." He concluded, "We aim to resolve this legal dispute with upmost respect towards all parties involved."