Current:Home > Scams'Vanderpump Rules' star Rachel Leviss sues Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for revenge porn: Reports -FutureProof Finance
'Vanderpump Rules' star Rachel Leviss sues Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for revenge porn: Reports
View
Date:2025-04-16 15:03:23
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! (32)
Related
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Threads down in widespread outage
- Denver Broncos to cut QB Russell Wilson, incurring record cap hit after two tumultuous seasons
- Ammo supplier says he provided no live rounds in fatal shooting of cinematographer by Alec Baldwin
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Riken Yamamoto, who designs dignity and elegance into daily life, wins Pritzker Prize
- Alabama lawmakers aim to approve immunity laws for IVF providers
- Kennedy Ryan's new novel, plus 4 other new romances by Black authors
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Democrats make play for veteran and military support as Trump homes in on GOP nomination
Ranking
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- War in Gaza and settler violence are taking a toll on mental health in the West Bank
- Allegheny Wood Products didn’t give proper notice before shutting down, lawsuit says
- 'Love is Blind' Season 6 finale: When does the last episode come out?
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- EAGLEEYE COIN: Prospects for the Application of Blockchain Technology in the Medical Industry
- Kristin Cavallari, Mark Estes and the sexist relationship age gap discourse
- Indiana lawmakers aim to adjourn their session early. Here’s what’s at stake in the final week
Recommendation
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
Washington state lawmakers approve police pursuit and income tax initiatives
The EU fines Apple nearly $2 billion for hindering music streaming competition
Coast-to-coast Super Tuesday contests poised to move Biden and Trump closer to November rematch
McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
Spanish tourist camping with her husband is gang raped in India; 3 arrested as police search for more suspects
North Carolina’s congressional delegation headed for a shake-up with 5 open seats and party shifts
Allegheny Wood Products didn’t give proper notice before shutting down, lawsuit says