Rachel Leviss is now suing Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for ‘revenge porn, eavesdropping and invasion of privacy’ following last year’s Scandoval drama.
Leviss filed the lawsuit Thursday at Los Angeles Superior Court, according to Deadline.
‘Scandoval’ captured the public’s attention in a massive way, went completely viral, and injected new life into Vanderpump Rules,’ the complaint reads, according to Deadline. ‘It also caused mayhem in Leviss’s life, culminating in months-long in-patient treatment at a mental health facility and her departure from the show. Fomented by Bravo and Evolution in conjunction with the cast, Leviss was subjected to a public skewering with little precedent and became, without exaggeration, one of the most hated women in America.’
Last season, it was revealed that Leviss had an intimate FaceTime conversation with Sandoval that was recorded without her knowledge.
During an interview with Bethenny Frankel in August, Leviss accused Sandoval of recording the video chat.
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Sandoval, Madix, and Leviss.
Rachel Leviss is now suing Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for ‘revenge porn, eavesdropping and invasion of privacy’ following last year’s Scandoval drama
Bravo, NBCUniversal, Andy Cohen, and producers who work on Vanderpump Rules are not named in the lawsuit, however they are frequently mentioned, according to Deadline.
The complaint, which spans 19-pages, states: ‘Plaintiff Rachel Leviss is a former cast member on Vanderpump Rules, a reality television show produced by Evolution Media (“Evolution”) and broadcast by Bravo Media (“Bravo”), an asset of NBCUniversal (“NBC”) (together with Bravo, “Bravo”). This case arises from a scandal of epic proportions starting in March 2023.
‘Stemming from an affair between Leviss and another cast member, Tom Sandoval, “Scandoval”—as it came to be known—went instantly viral and was the subject of extraordinary press coverage, even in the mainstream media. “Scandoval” injected new life into a previously faltering series, causing its viewership to explode to unseen levels and making its cast members mega-celebrities. Due to a narrative deliberately fomented by Bravo, Evolution, and the cast, Leviss became an object of public scorn and ridicule.
‘To be clear, Leviss has repeatedly acknowledged that her actions were morally objectionable and deeply hurtful to Madix. She has offered numerous apologies. There is more to the story, however. Lost in the mix was that Leviss 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 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.
‘To make matters worse, Leviss was misled by Bravo and Evolution into believing that she was contractually barred from speaking out about her mistreatment. As a result, she suffered in silence as Bravo and Evolution watched viewership explode, and the rest of the cast enjoyed unseen levels of public recognition and professional opportunity. Meanwhile, Leviss, who was humiliated and villainized for public consumption, remains a shell of her former self, with her career prospects stunted and her reputation in tatters.’
Leviss filed the lawsuit Thursday at Los Angeles Superior Court, according to Deadline
