“Vanderpump Rules” star Rachel Leviss pushed back against ex-lover Tom Sandoval’s attempts to dismiss parts of her revenge porn lawsuit against him, according to a report published Friday.
Leviss’ legal team formally requested that the court reject Sandoval’s plea to dismiss her claims and opposed his bid to prevent Leviss from seeking punitive damages, Entertainment Tonight reported, citing legal documents the outlet obtained.
Legal representatives of the reality television star stated that they had compelling evidence demonstrating the severity of Sandoval’s actions. “Sandoval is alleged to have surreptitiously recorded sexually explicit videos of [Leviss] without her knowledge or consent, in effect turning Plaintiff into an unwilling porn star and gravely invading her right to privacy,” the statement read, according to ET.
INGLEWOOD, CA – NOVEMBER 30: Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix, Scheana Shay, Raquel Leviss, and James Kennedy of Vanderpump Rules arrive at KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2018 Presented By Capital One at The Forum on November 30, 2018 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 03: Raquel Leviss attends the Kilian Paris Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary During GRAMMYs Weekend at Raspoutine on February 03, 2023 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Kilian Paris)
Leviss also named Sandoval’s ex, Ariana Madix as part of their ongoing lawsuit.
“Sandoval’s response in the face of irrefutable evidence that will be presented in court is disturbing. Leveraging such claims for media attention and perpetuating victim-blaming is not just deplorable but actionable,” Leviss’ lawyers, Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman said in a statement, according to ET. “Sandoval engaged in conduct sufficiently despicable to warrant punitive damages.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 22: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Raquel Leviss attends the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on March 22, 2022. Broadcasted live on FOX. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 14: Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss and Tom Schwartz at the Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras performance at Hotel Cafe on November 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images)
Geragos and Freedman went on to say that Sandoval’s “torturous behavior” caused Leviss to incur substantial medical expenses, including for mental health treatment at an inpatient center in Arizona.
Leviss and Sandoval allegedly had an affair while Sandoval was in a relationship with Madix. The very public scandal was dubbed “Scandoval,” and resulted in increased media attention from fans of “Vanderpump Rules.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 16: Raquel Leviss attends Cirque du Soleil’s “OVO” Los Angeles Premiere at Microsoft Theater on March 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 26: Television personalities Tom Sandoval (L) and Ariana Madix attend the Friends and Family Opening at Schwartz & Sandy’s with the cast of “Vanderpump Rules” at Schwartz & Sandy’s Lounge on July 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)
Geragos and Freedman also noted that Leviss incurred significant legal fees in an attempt to “halt the further distribution” of the videos Sandoval allegedly recorded without her consent. (RELATED: REPORT: Reality Star Raquel Leviss Racks Up $200,000 Therapy Bill)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 14: Raquel Leviss attends ‘Legends Ball 2022 BravoCon’ at Manhattan Center on October 14, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)
Madix reportedly discovered the alleged recordings on Sandoval’s phone, which led to a public blowout, the outlet noted.
The next court date is scheduled for July 11, according to ET.
