Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules may be on hiatus from filming after an often exhausting 11th season, but the drama between longtime cast members and ex-romantic partners Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix continues to unfurl off-screen.
On Tuesday, a day before the series earned its second Emmy nomination in a row for best unstructured reality program, Us Weekly reported that Sandoval is suing Madix for alleged invasion of privacy and distribution of explicit videos featuring himself and their former castmate Rachel Leviss. The revelation that Sandoval had been cheating on Madix with Leviss, which his girlfriend of more than a decade learned from looking at his phone, sparked the #Scandoval that revived Vanderpump Rules.
Sandoval seeks “punitive damages” from Madix for allegedly accessing his phone without his permission, claiming in the complaint, per People, that she then “made copies of the data and distributed the data to Leviss and third parties without [his] authorization or permission.” In a statement to Us Weekly, Madix’s attorney Jordan Susman said Madix is “confident that a jury will see through this latest ploy and dismiss his frivolous claims.”
Susman continued, in part: “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 well-being. Mr. Sandoval knows full well what sort of privileges he and Ms. Madix shared in regard to their personal communication devices. 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.”
Sandoval’s attorney, Matthew Geragos—who, by the way, is the brother of Leviss’s attorney, Mark Geragos—told the publication in a statement that his client’s suit was filed “in order to ensure a fair and just determination of responsibility among all parties involved” after Leviss filed a suit against both Sandoval and Madix in February for revenge porn, eavesdropping, and invasion of privacy. “We filed a cross-complaint on behalf of Mr. Sandoval,” said Geragos. “This customary legal action was crucial to ensure that liability, if any, is fairly distributed based on the actual level of involvement and fault of each party. We aim to resolve this legal dispute with upmost [sic] respect towards all parties involved.”
During the Vanderpump Rules season 11 reunion, Sandoval slammed Leviss for bringing Madix into the legal saga. “It’s one thing for her to come after me, but to come after Ariana,” he began, “I’m questioning if she has a fucking soul, it’s insane.”
Rachel Leviss, Tom Sandoval, and Ariana Madix on season 10 of Vanderpump Rules.Bravo