Heavy/Getty Tom Sandoval.
Tom Sandoval broke his silence on a lawsuit he claims he mistakenly filed against his ex, Ariana Madix.
The former couple is embroiled in a “revenge porn” lawsuit slapped on them by Sandoval’s former lover, Raquel Leviss. On July 18, 2024, the “Vanderpump Rules” star issued a statement on Instagram to claim that he was misinformed by his attorney when he filed a cross-complaint against Madix. He also announced that he dropped the suit against his ex.
The move to drop the suit came amid fierce backlash from outraged fans who couldn’t believe Sandoval would sue Madix after all he has put her through since she discovered his affair with Leviss in March 2023.
Tom Sandoval Fired His Lawyer & Accused Him of Misleading Him
PeacockTom Sandoval
In a statement posted to Instagram on July 18, Sandoval blamed his attorney for not properly explaining the cross-complaint to him. “My attorney, Matt Geragos, whose advice I trusted, called me about the Cross-Complaint in the lawsuit against myself and Ariana,” Sandoval wrote. “He assured me that the action was customary and strictly preventative in these types of lawsuits and urged me to agree to it. The words ‘New Lawsuit’ or ‘Suing’ were not articulated to me.”
Sandoval continued, “I should’ve done more of my due diligence on the matter. Upon realizing what this action actually means, I have removed Matt Geragos from my legal team.”
“In no way am I suing Ariana,” he clarified. “The action against Ariana brought on my behalf is being removed. I had no ill will or vindictiveness toward Ariana. By removing both the Cross-Complaint and the attorney who recommended it, I hope to get through this case quickly, so that Ariana and I can both finally MOVE ON with our lives.”
In March 2023, Madix discovered Sandoval’s affair after finding explicit videos of Leviss on his cell phone. Nearly one year later, Leviss sued both Sandoval and Madix for “revenge porn,” per court documents obtained by Deadline, alleging that copies of the videos were made.
People magazine shared details from Sandoval’s now-dropped July 2023 complaint in which he alleged that Madix invaded his “right to privacy” by copying data from his cell phone and distributing it to Leviss. The court filing accused Madix of being guilty of “oppression, fraud, or malice.” It alleged that she “acted with the intent… with a willful and conscious disregard of [Sandoval’s] rights.”
Sandoval’s former attorney, Geragos, told Us Weekly that a cross-complaint was “customary legal action.” The now-fired attorney is the brother of Leviss’ lawyer, celebrity attorney Mark Geragos.
Fans Reacted to Sandoval’s Decision to Drop His Lawsuit Against Ariana Madix
GettyTom Sandoval and Ariana Madix.
Not everyone is buying Sandoval’s statement. Some think he is trying to save face amid the backlash he received over his cross-complaint filing.
“Of course! It’s EVERYONES Fault but his own! I guarantee if people had not complained, he would have definitely moved forward with it,” one commenter wrote on Instagram.
“You have to read and sign prior to filing. He totally knew every word including the end goal of the lawsuit. Gross behavior,” another wrote.
So because of so much backlash I decided to not sue is what I hear,” another added.
“I’m sure all his business partners threatened to cancel him if he didn’t withdraw the suit. There is no way he didn’t understand what he agreed to with his lawyer,” another commenter agreed.
When the cross-complaint news first broke, Sandoval’s co-star Scheana Shay posted an angry response on Instagram. Shay appeared disgusted by Sandoval’s actions and said he is not someone she wants to be friends with. She also accused Sandoval of making her look stupid after she defended him last season on “Vanderpump Rules.”
Katie Maloney also reacted to the news via an Instagram comment. “Authorized permission … interesting choice of words pal. Anyways, you [expletive] suck dude.”
Following Sandoval’s move to drop the counter-complaint, Madix’s attorney, Jordan Sussman told People, “We are pleased that Mr. Sandoval has stated his intention to dismiss his cross-complaint against Ms. Madix. This entire lawsuit against Ms. Madix is without merit, and it is only a matter of time before it is dismissed completely.”