Tom Sandoval Reacts to Rachel Leviss' Revenge Porn Lawsuit
In the ongoing legal saga between Vanderpump Rules stars Tom Sandoval, 40, and Rachel Leviss, 29, Sandoval has delivered a response to her revenge porn lawsuit, characterizing it as a bid to extend her fame and "rebrand herself as the victim."
According to court documents obtained by ET, Sandoval's legal team claims that Leviss is attempting to cast Ariana Madix, Sandoval's ex who he cheated on with Leviss, as a "scorned woman" and Sandoval as "predatory" through her lawsuit. They further allege that Leviss’ provocative podcast, Rachel Goes Rogue, is a strategic move to manipulate the narrative following Sandoval and Leviss' breakup.
Leviss had filed a complaint in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Madix and Sandoval in February, alleging revenge porn, eavesdropping, intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. She claimed that intimate FaceTime calls, showing her "in a state of undress and masturbating" with Sandoval, were filmed without her consent.
In their response filed with the court, Sandoval's attorneys counter that these videos were created and shared consensually during their Facetime calls. They argue that Sandoval merely saved private copies of videos that Leviss had willingly shared with him.
The attorneys are requesting Leviss’ lawsuit either be dismissed or amended.
Leviss' lawyers, Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman, reacted to Sandoval's recent reply to the lawsuit, telling ET in a statement, "Sandoval's response in the face of irrefutable evidence that will be presented in court is disturbing. Leveraging such claims for media attention and perpetuating victim-blaming is not just deplorable but actionable."
Leviss, in her original suit, acknowledged her role in Sandoval cheating on Madix but claimed she was also a victim of his behavior.
Sandoval and Madix began dating in 2013, but they called it quits back in March 2023, which is around the same time news broke of Sandoval's months-long affair with Leviss. But according to the 19-page lawsuit, Leviss now claims that what fans saw during the explosive season 10 of Bravo's Vanderpump Rules is not all that went down.
She claims that "lost in the mix was that 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."
She's suing to have all copies destroyed and an injunction so that they're never again seen by anyone.
"It is clear that Bravo deliberately sacrificed Leviss for the sake of its commercial interest from its refusal to allow her the opportunity to tell her side of the story and defend herself, which she repeatedly begged for permission to do," states Leviss' lawsuit.
The suit further alleges that "to make matters worse, [she] was misled by Bravo and [producers] Evolution [Media] into believing that she was contractually barred from speaking out about her mistreatment." She claims that, as a result, "she suffered in silence as Bravo and Evolution watched viewership explode, and the rest of the cast enjoyed unseen levels of public recognition and professional opportunity."
"For decades, a great deal of my life has been devoted to mental health treatment and recovery and helping others on that path. I’m outraged that NBC and Bravo have used illegal NDAs as cudgels to profit off their employees," Leviss' attorney, Freedman, said in a statement to ET in February. "The idea that human beings are expected to sacrifice their mental and emotional health in service of Bravo’s ratings is obscene. Many of their employees are suffering in silence due to brazen and calculated actions by NBC and Bravo. Hundreds of reality TV participants have reached out to Mark Geragos and myself, and we are committed to ensuring that they have zealous advocates to confront the damage these employers have wreaked on their lives. While coming forward can be terrifying and even embarrassing, I implore people not to suffer in silence. Reach out to my firm or Mark’s firm, and we will help you get the help you need."
In a statement to ET, Geragos echoed the sentiment.
"This lawsuit is squarely about illegal behavior and those who traffic in it and enable it. Rachel has apologized for her part in an affair," he said. "That’s not a crime. Tom and Ariana are alleged here to have engaged in criminal acts. They then doubled down and used those actions to shame, bully, belittle, and intentionally try to destroy Rachel’s mental health. The law makes it clear that recording someone without their consent and distributing that illegal recording is punishable by law; however, doing so while knowingly enticing them to engage in sexual acts deserves the harshest of penalties allowable under the law."
Also in her lawsuit, Leviss claims there was a hostile and unsafe working environment while filming Vanderpump Rules. She claims co-star James Kennedy once erupted on her parents and kicked the family dog four times. She also alleges Kennedy physically assaulted Kristen Doute on camera and he has not faced any repercussions for his actions.
This is the second lawsuit involving the embattled trio. In January, Madix sued Sandoval in hopes of getting the court to make him put the home they bought in 2019 up for sale.
Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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