Tom Sandoval sues Ariana Madix for invasion of privacy amid Rachel Leviss lawsuit
The Scandoval is not dying down.
"Vanderpump Rules" star Tom Sandoval is suing ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix in a cross-complaint filed in Los Angeles Tuesday for invasion of privacy, negligence and unauthorized computer access, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Sandoval's lawsuit is in relation to his cheating scandal with Rachel "Raquel" Leviss, who is suing both of the exes for eavesdropping, revenge porn and an invasion of privacy.
In the TomTom co-owner's lawsuit, he alleges Madix, 39, "obtained access" to his phone on March 1, 2023, and "reviewed images, information, data, videos and/or communications" including FaceTime videos between Leviss, 29, and Sandoval, 41, without "authorization or permission."
Sandoval also alleged his ex "made copies" of the material and distributed it to "Leviss and third parties."
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
He is seeking a trial by jury.
Us Weekly was the first to report Sandoval's lawsuit.
In 2023, the Bravo reality show documented Madix discovering that Sandoval was cheating on her with their co-star, Leviss, after she found a video on his phone that revealed the affair. In the show, Madix described discovering a screen recording of Sandoval and Leviss on FaceTime.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Madix's attorney Jordan Susman said, "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 wellbeing."
"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," Susman continued.
The attorney added that Sandoval "believes it necessary to continue torturing" the "Love Island: USA" host "in a vain effort to rehabilitate his image."
'Vanderpump Rules' star Rachel Levisssues Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for revenge porn: Reports
Sandoval's lawsuit rides the coattails of Leviss' filing against the exes in February.
Her complaint alleged there "is more to the story" and that she 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."
Leviss previously alleged on an episode of 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.
'Vanderpump Rules' reunion finale:Raquel reveals she slept with Tom while Ariana attended funeral
The lawsuit came a week after Sandoval spoke out about the scandal in a lengthy New York Times Magazine profile, which 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."
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, Edward Segarra
