‘Vanderpump Rules’ star Tom Sandoval will represent himself in revenge porn lawsuit
LOS ANGELES - Tom Sandoval is now acting as his own attorney in a revenge porn lawsuit filed by former "Vanderpump Rules" cast member Rachel Leviss against him and Ariana Madix.
Leviss alleges in her lawsuit that 42-year-old Tom Sandoval and the 39- year-old Madix produced and disseminated sexually explicit images of the plaintiff.
On Dec. 6, Sandoval's former attorney, Varand Gourjian, filed court papers with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel Crowley stating that Sandoval has chosen to represent himself. No reason was given in the court papers for the change.
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Leviss maintains in her suit filed Feb. 29 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 (Madix) seeking vengeance" against the plaintiff.
Sandoval and Madix were in a relationship for nearly 10 years before Madix discovered Sandoval's affair with Leviss in March 2023.
Madix's lawyers maintain in their court papers that Leviss' complaint is "an abuse of the legal process" intended to "punish Ms. Madix, and deter others, from exercising their constitutionally protected right of free speech." Her lawyers are appealing Crowley's denial of their client's motion to dismiss Leviss' claims against her.
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"Plaintiff has conclusively demonstrated Madix's conduct alleged in the three causes of action was illegal" the judge wrote. "Therefore, (Madix) cannot meet her burden to make a prima facie showing that plaintiff's suit arises from any act of defendant in furtherance of (Madix's) right of petition or free speech under the United States or California constitutions in connection with a public issue because the alleged conduct is illegal and, therefore, not protected by the First Amendment or the anti-SLAPP statute."
Leviss' pleadings included a sworn declaration by Leviss, who says she became "increasingly isolated" after her romance ended with James Kennedy, another cast member.
"I began to confide in Sandoval, who had been in a relationship with Madix since 2014 and lived with her in Valley Village, California," Leviss says. "Over time, we became increasingly close, and I began to rely on him for emotional support; he, in turn, began to confide in me about the dire state of his relationship with Madix, describing it as a business partnership and casting its end as foregone. I viewed Sandoval as a close confidante and friend and our relationship as platonic. It became increasingly clear, however, that Sandoval had different intentions."
Leviss says Madix sent her three text messages in March 2023, two of them intimate videos of the plaintiff and the third stating, "you are DEAD TO ME."
"I realized that these recordings depicted my private, intimate video calls with Sandoval, which he had evidently recorded without my knowledge or consent," Leviss says. "I reacted to Madix's messages with shock and alarm. Because the recordings were sent from her phone, not Sandoval's, I knew that she had somehow taken possession of them. This made an already difficult situation decidedly worse."
Leviss further says that at the time, she did not know what Madix intended to do with the videos, but that her initial actions "spoke volumes and suggested she was prepared to undertake drastic, reckless and unlawful actions toward me. I believed then and continue to believe that Madix was not in full control of her faculties at the time and was genuinely bent on revenge."
Leviss further maintains in her suit filed Feb. 29 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" against the plaintiff.
Trial of Leviss' suit is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2025.