Current:Home > ScamsSafeX Pro Exchange|'Vanderpump Rules' star Rachel Leviss sues Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for revenge porn: Reports -RiskRadar
SafeX Pro Exchange|'Vanderpump Rules' star Rachel Leviss sues Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for revenge porn: Reports
Chainkeen View
Date:2025-04-10 22:11:34
The SafeX Pro Exchange"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! (82)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- New York and New England Need More Clean Energy. Is Hydropower From Canada the Best Way to Get it?
- To be a happier worker, exercise your social muscle
- Warming Trends: At COP26, a Rock Star Named Greta, and Threats to the Scottish Coast. Plus Carbon-Footprint Menus and Climate Art Galore
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- Catholic Bishops in the US Largely Ignore the Pope’s Concern About Climate Change, a New Study Finds
- Get a $64 Lululemon Tank for $19 and More Great Buys Starting at Just $9
- We're talking about the 4-day workweek — again. Is it a mirage or reality?
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Appeals court rejects FTC's request to pause Microsoft-Activision deal
Ranking
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- A power outage at a JFK Airport terminal disrupts flights
- For the First Time, Nations Band Together in a Move Toward Ending Plastics Pollution
- US Blocks Illegal Imports of Climate Damaging Refrigerants With New Rules
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- Twitter will limit uses of SMS 2-factor authentication. What does this mean for users?
- Billy Baldwin says Gilgo Beach murders suspect was his high school classmate: Mind-boggling
- A Deadly Summer in the Pacific Northwest Augurs More Heat Waves, and More Deaths to Come
Recommendation
Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
Q&A: Sustainable Farming Expert Weighs in on California’s Historic Investments in ‘Climate Smart’ Agriculture
Ariana Grande Kicks Off 30th Birthday Celebrations Early With This Wickedly Festive POV
Is the Controlled Shrinking of Economies a Better Bet to Slow Climate Change Than Unproven Technologies?
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
Hollywood's Black List (Classic)
Yellowstone Creator Taylor Sheridan Breaks Silence on Kevin Costner's Shocking Exit
Dozens of U.K. companies will keep the 4-day workweek after a pilot program ends