The Scandalbal incident appears to be coming to an end.
“Vanderpump Rules” star Tom Sandoval filed a lawsuit against his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix in Los Angeles on Tuesday, accusing her of invasion of privacy, negligence and unauthorized computer access, according to documents obtained by USA Today.
But in a surprise twist, Sandoval announced on Thursday that he was dropping his lawsuit against Maddix. Sandoval’s lawsuit was related to his cheating scandal with Rachel “Raquel” Revis, who is suing her two ex-wives for wiretapping, revenge porn and invasion of privacy.
The TomTom co-owners allege in their lawsuit that Maddix, 39, “accessed” his cell phone on March 1, 2023 and “viewed images, information, data, videos and/or communications” including a FaceTime video between Revis, 29, and Sandoval, 41, “without permission or authorization.”
Sandoval also alleged that his ex-wife “made copies” of the materials and distributed them to “Reavis and third parties.”
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Sandoval’s lawsuit was first reported by Us Weekly magazine.
Tom Sandoval announces he’s dropping lawsuit against Ariana Madix
In a lengthy statement posted to Instagram on Thursday, Sandoval said he was dropping his counterclaim against Maddix.
“Matt Geragos, an attorney I trusted, called me regarding a cross-filing of lawsuits against me and Ariana,” Sandoval wrote. “He assured me that the lawsuit was customary and entirely preemptive in this type of litigation, and urged me to agree. The words ‘new lawsuit’ and ‘sue’ were never explicitly communicated to me.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Geragos for comment.
Sandoval said he was dropping the lawsuit and removing Geragos from his legal team.
“I have no intention of suing Ariana and the lawsuit I filed on my behalf against Ariana will be dismissed,” Sandoval concluded. “I bear no ill will or vendetta against Ariana. By now dismissing both the counterclaim and the attorneys who recommended it, I hope to bring this litigation to a quick end so that Ariana and I can finally move forward with our lives.”
Ariana Madix’s lawyer claims Tom Sandoval’s lawsuit is ‘abhorrent’
In 2023, the Bravo reality show documented Maddix discovering that Sandoval was cheating on her with co-star Revis. She found a video exposing the affair on Sandoval’s phone. In the show, Maddix explains that she found a screen recording of a FaceTime conversation between Sandoval and Revis.
“It is abhorrent that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Maddix — from the extramarital affair that destroyed her home and stability, to the months-long emotional battle, and now his attempt to further evade personal responsibility for the impact his actions have had on her and her mental health,” Maddix’s lawyer, Jordan Sussman, said in a statement to USA Today.
“If it were up to him or his mistress, it would be illegal for anyone to know that their spouse or partner is cheating on them,” Sussman continued.
The lawyer added that Sandoval “believes it is necessary to continue to torture the Love Island: USA host in a futile effort to salvage his image.”
Vanderpump Rules star Rachel LevisTom Sandoval and Ariana Madix sued for revenge porn: reports
Sandoval’s lawsuit follows a lawsuit filed by Reavis against the former couple in February.
“There is more to this story,” her complaint alleges, “that she was the victim of predatory and unfaithful behavior by an older man who, without her knowledge and consent, recorded sexually explicit videos of her which were then publicly distributed, circulated and discussed by the scorned woman seeking revenge, creating a scandal.”
Revis claimed on Bethenny Frankel’s “Just B” podcast last year that she didn’t know she was being recorded while talking to Sandoval over FaceTime. “I decided to be adventurous and watch some adult programming on TV, and Tom and I talk a lot over FaceTime, so it turned into a more intimate FaceTime,” she said. “I thought we had privacy in that moment.”
Revis said that when Maddix later sent her “two screen recorded videos and a text that said, ‘You’re dead to me,'” “it was only then that I realised I had been recorded without my consent.”
“Vanderpump Rules” Reunion Finale:Raquel reveals she slept with Tom while Ariana was at his funeral
The lawsuit was filed a week after Sandoval spoke about the scandal in a lengthy New York Times Magazine op-ed, suggesting he might be “the most hated man in America.”
In the interview, he claimed he did it because he was “in an unfortunate situation in my life” and “got carried away by emotion and fell completely in love.”
Contributors: Brendan Morrow and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
