Vandeprump Rules‘ ‘Scandoval’ has reached new heights. Variety reports that Rachel Leviss, formerly known as Raquel, has filed a lawsuit against Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for eavesdropping, revenge porn, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The news came after Leviss, 29, who didn’t return to the show for Season 11 after heading to a mental health facility, had an affair with Tom Sandoval, 40, while he was dating Madix, 38. The aftermath of the scandal was all captured by the cameras for Season 10, and it boosted the show’s popularity.
Per the outlet’s report, the Leviss alleges in the lawsuit 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 women seeking vengeance, catalyzing the scandal.”
Leviss confronted Sandoval
In Season 10, Madix, who had been dating Sandoval for a decade, said that she accidentally saw an explicit video of the duo on Sandoval’s phone, which was how she learned about the affair and soon cameras were rolling.
The lawsuit, as Variety reports, alleges that the scandal “was the subject of extraordinary press coverage” and made its “cast members mega-celebrities,” and that Leviss “became an object of public scorn and ridicule.”
She also alleges that she was “misled by Bravo and Evolution into believing that she was contractually barred from speaking out about her mistreatment.” The report also states that Leviss alleges she confronted Sandoval about the intimate videos he recorded without her consent.
On the other hand, NBC reports that the lawsuit also states that “Leviss is informed and believes … that Madix has obtained at least two illicit videos of Leviss and distributed them and/or showed them to others with Leviss’ knowledge or consent.”
Sandoval says he hasn’t capitalize from the scandal
Just a week ago, The New York Times published a new Sandoval’s profile, in which he admitted that he hasn’t been able to capitalize on Vanderpump Rules’ new fame. In the lawsuit, per Variety, Levis alleges he received a “pay rise” but the outlet says sources close to the matter deny it.
“There are minimal brands that want to be associated with someone who’s thought of as a cheater,” Sandoval’s manager, Ryan Revel, told The New York Times. Meanwhile, Sandoval complained that he was frustrated because “everybody cashed in. Everybody won on this. The cast, the execs, the network — everybody made so much money. But I try to put it on myself, to make the best opportunity out of it that I can.”
Talking about Leviss, Sandoval said that he quit drinking for Leviss, expecting them to be together after she left the mental treatment facility. However, she hasn’t returned his calls since June. He told the newspaper that she didn’t give him “any closure” and that “was really hard,” and it “still messes” with him.