"No way am I suing Ariana"— Tom Sandoval fires lawyer and claims he did not want to sue Ariana Madix

A few days after news broke that Tom Sandoval sued his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix, the Vanderpump Rules star claimed that the recent lawsuit didn't have his permission. Talking about the same issue, Sandoval shared a statement on Thursday, July 18, via Instagram. He wrote:

"Late Tuesday afternoon, my attorney, Matt Geragos, whose advice I trusted, called about the Cross-Complaint in the lawsuit against myself and Ariana. He assured me that the action was customary and strictly preventative in these types of lawsuits and urged me to agree to it."

The reality TV star noted that there was a gap in his conversation with his former lawyer before the lawsuit was filed on Tuesday (July 16) and accepted part of the blame for the confusion. He further said:

"The words "New Lawsuit" or "Suing" were not articulated to me. I should've done more of my due diligence on the matter."

Sandoval added that after learning of the new lawsuit against Ariana Madix for invasion of privacy, he had fired Matt Geragos from his team of attorneys, saying that suing his ex was never in the card. He said:

"In no way am I suing Ariana. The action against Ariana brought on my behalf is being removed."

The Vanderpump Rules star also mentioned in the statement that he holds "no ill will or vindictiveness" towards Madix. Tom Sandoval noted that with the removal of Cross-Complaint and the lawyer who recommended it, he hopes they will get through their case quickly so they can "finally move on with [their] lives."

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Tom Sandoval accuses ex Rachel Leviss of acting in "bad faith" in response to her revenge p*rn lawsuit

While Tom Sandoval dropped the lawsuit against Ariana Madix, he and his lawyers made a countersuit against Rachel Leviss, the woman whom he allegedly cheated Madix with, on Thursday, July 18.

Sandoval's lawyers claimed in the new filing that it was Leviss' own "negligence, breach, and fault" that led to the damages the latter alleged in her lawsuit. It also stated that the Rachel Goes Rogue podcast host had "full knowledge of the consequences" of what she had done, related to the leaked video footage. Therefore, she "voluntarily" exposed herself to the backpacks and allegations made in her lawsuit.

In February 2024, Leviss filed a lawsuit against Sandoval and Ariana Madix, claiming that she "was humiliated and villainized for public consumption" after an explicit video she sent Sandoval was leaked.

Saldoval's recent filing claimed that Rachel Leviss acted in "bad faith" and was acting unreasonably, The new lawsuit mentioned that she should be barred from seeking any damages under "the doctrine of unclean hands."

Moreover, the filing alleged that, with her status as a public figure, she had already relinquished her right to privacy. Lastly, Tom Sandoval's lawyers also asked for the dismissal of Rachel Leviss' initial lawsuit for Sandoval's legal fees to be covered.