Rachel Leviss is now suing Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for ‘revenge porn, eavesdropping and invasion of privacy’ following last year’s Scandoval drama.
‘Scandoval’ captured massive public attention, went completely viral and injected new life into Vanderpump Rules,’ reads the complaint, obtained by DailyMail.com. ‘It also caused chaos in Leviss’s life, culminating in months-long inpatient treatment at a mental health facility and his departure from the program. Promoted by Bravo and Evolution along with the cast, Leviss was subjected to an unprecedented public sting and became, without exaggeration, one of the most hated women in America.
Last year, 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 from 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 the producers working on Vanderpump Rules are not named in the lawsuit, but are frequently mentioned.
The complaint, which spans 19 pages, was presented by Leviss Thursday at the Angels Upper cut.
«Plaintiff Rachel Leviss is a former cast member of 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 that began in March 2023,” she reads.
‘Scandoval, as it arose from an affair between Leviss and another cast member, Tom Sandoval, instantly went viral and was the subject of extraordinary press coverage, including in major media outlets. “Scandoval” injected new life into a previously floundering series, causing its audience to explode to levels never seen before and turning its cast members into mega-celebrities. Due to a narrative deliberately fostered by Bravo, Evolution, and the cast, Leviss became an object of public scorn and ridicule.
‘To be clear, Leviss has repeatedly acknowledged that his actions were morally objectionable and deeply hurtful to Madix. She has offered numerous apologies. However, there is more to the story. What got lost in the mix was that Leviss was the 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 publicly discussed by a scorned woman who was looking for revenge. , catalyzing the scandal. Leviss eventually entered a mental health facility and stayed there for three months while Bravo, Evolution, and the cast capitalized on the interest that had peaked in her.
‘To make matters worse, Bravo and Evolution tricked Leviss into believing that he was contractually prohibited from speaking about his abuse. As a result, he suffered in silence while Bravo and Evolution watched ratings explode, and the rest of the cast enjoyed never-before-seen levels of public recognition and career opportunities. 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 in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to Deadline.
