Tom Sandoval Sues Ariana Madix for Privacy Invasion Amid Leviss Lawsuit

The drama surrounding the Scandoval doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon.

“Vanderpump Rules” star Tom Sandoval has taken legal action against his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix, filing a cross-complaint on Tuesday in Los Angeles. According to documents obtained by USA TODAY, Sandoval is accusing Madix of invasion of privacy, negligence, and unauthorized computer access.

This legal move by Sandoval follows his infamous cheating scandal involving Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. Leviss herself has previously sued both exes for eavesdropping, revenge porn, and invasion of privacy.

Sandoval’s lawsuit claims that Madix, aged 39, accessed his phone on March 1, 2023, and reviewed various images, information, data, videos, and communications, including FaceTime videos between Leviss, 29, and Sandoval, 41—all without authorization or permission. Further, he alleges that Madix made copies of this material and distributed them to Leviss and other third parties.

Sandoval is pursuing a trial by jury over these allegations.

The scandal became widely known through the Bravo reality show in 2023, which documented Madix discovering Sandoval’s affair with their co-star Leviss. Madix found a video on his phone that exposed the affair, describing it as a screen recording of a FaceTime call between Sandoval and Leviss.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Madix’s attorney, Jordan Susman, criticized Sandoval’s actions. “It is abhorrent that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix,” Susman said. “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 further argued that if Sandoval and his “mistress” had their way, it would be illegal to discover a spouse or significant other’s infidelity. He accused Sandoval of continuing to torture the “Love Island: USA” host in a vain attempt to repair his tarnished image.

Sandoval’s lawsuit follows closely on the heels of Leviss’ filing against Madix and Sandoval in February.

Leviss’ complaint suggested there was more to the story, claiming she was a victim of predatory and dishonest behavior by an older man who recorded sexually explicit videos of her without her knowledge or consent. These videos were later distributed and discussed publicly by a scorned woman seeking vengeance, causing the scandal to explode.

On Bethenny Frankel’s “Just B” podcast last year, Leviss alleged she was unaware she was being recorded during a FaceTime call 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 shared. “I expected to have privacy in that moment.”

Leviss said she discovered she had been recorded without consent when Madix messaged her “two screen-recorded videos and a text that said, ‘You’re dead to me.'”

This lawsuit came merely a week after Sandoval publicly addressed the scandal in a detailed New York Times Magazine profile, which hinted he might be the “most hated man in America.” In the interview, he defended his actions by claiming he was in an unhappy place in his life and got caught up in his emotions, ultimately falling fully in love.

Source: USA TODAY