Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval files a countercase against Rachel Leviss

Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval ran into legal trouble in February 2024 after Rachel Leviss filed a lawsuit against Sandoval and his former girlfriend Ariana Madix. However, Tom filed a countersuit against Rachel on Monday, April 22, 2024.

Leviss, who was also a part of Vanderpump Rules, was having an affair with Sandoval and Madix found out about it in March 2023. This led to Ariana and Tom breaking up and Rachel filing a lawsuit against them a year later. In her lawsuit, the former Vanderpump Rules star alleged that Tom Sandoval had secretly recorded videos of her and that Ariana Madix distributed them without her consent.

According to the legal documents that US Weekly obtained, Tom countered Rachel's claims against him, stating that she was trying to "establish herself" as a victim. It also claimed that the documents filed by Leviss in February were a "thinly veiled attempt" to ensure her fame and "rebrand herself" so she is no longer known as "the other woman."

In her lawsuit, Rachel also sued Tom Sandoval's ex-girlfriend, Ariana Madix, stating that she was a "scorned woman seeking vengeance."

---

Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval alleges the videos were "created" by Rachel Leviss

In her suit, former Vanderpump Rules star Rachel alleged that she didn't know Tom had screen-recorded her videos while they were on FaceTime. Tom Sandoval's lawsuit is based on these allegations and his attorneys countered these claims by stating that Leviss was the one who had created and published the videos.

"These videos were created by Leviss and published by Leviss to Sandoval via a consensual exchange on FaceTime," Tom's attorneys stated.

They added that the Vanderpump Rules season 11 star had saved the videos on his phone. In light of this, Tom's legal representatives hope that the lawsuit by Rachel will either be dismissed or amended.

Rachel Leviss, who previously went by Raquel, filed a lawsuit against Tom Sandoval and her former best friend Ariana Madix on February 29, 2024. Initially, the three were part of a close-knit circle but in March 2023, Ariana discovered NFSW videos of Rachel on her then-boyfriend Tom's phone. The affair and the ensuing scandal was called #Scandoval with Sandoval and Leviss gaining infamy for the same.

A year after the affair was made public, Rachel Leviss filed a lawsuit against Ariana and Tom claiming that it was "revenge p*rn" and an "invasion of privacy." In the legal documents, the former Vanderpump Rules star claimed that Tom Sandoval allegedly recorded a "s*x tape" of her which she wanted destroyed. She mentioned several big names in the lawsuit, including Andy Cohen, Bravo, and NBCUniversal.

The suit also alleged that "Bravo deliberately sacrificed Leviss" for its commercial interests.

"It is clear that Bravo deliberately sacrificed Leviss for the sake of its commercial interests 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," Leviss' lawsuit added.

The lawsuit also stated that the former Vanderpump Rules star was a "victim of predatory and dishonest behavior." It called Tom Sandoval an "older man" who recorded videos of Leviss without her consent or knowledge.

Rachel Leviss even claimed that Ariana Madix had "distributed, disseminated, and discussed" the videos publicly to seek "vengeance." The documents stated that Rachel's former castmate had catalyzed the scandal.

"Leviss ultimately checked herself into a mental health facility and remained there for three months while Bravo, Evolution, and the cast milked the interest her excoriation had peaked," the documents read.

The documents also claimed that the former Vanderpump Rules star felt misled by the network to believe that she was "contractually" banned from speaking about her mistreatment. They added that she suffered in silence and was humiliated and villainized.

The aftermath of Scandoval has been heavily featured on Vanderpump Rules season 11. In the show's latest episode, which aired on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, Tom Sandoval and Scheana Shay got into an argument about the same. Shay claimed that since Tom and Rachel did what they did, she had been having "f*cked up thoughts" about Lala Kent and Scheana's husband Brock Davies fooling around.

Vanderpump Rules season 11 is currently on air and airs episodes weekly on Wednesdays on Bravo.