Rachel “Raquel” Leviss has sued Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix following the aftermath of ‘Scandoval.’
In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, the Vanderpump Rules alum, 29, stated she was seeking unspecified damages and taking her former Bravo costars to court on allegations of eavesdropping, revenge porn and invasion of privacy.
The document obtained by PEOPLE claims that the events of Scandoval “captured the public’s attention in a massive way” and went viral in a way that “caused mayhem in Leviss’s life” in the form of months-long voluntary treatment at a mental health facility and her eventual departure from the show.
In conjunction with Bravo, Evolution Media and the rest of the Vanderpump Rules cast, Leviss states that she was subjected to a public skewering” and became “one of the most hated women in America.
The former beauty queen makes clear her morally objectionable actions and notes the numerous apologies she’s issued to Madix but claims there is “more to the story” that was lost amid the scandal.
In March 2023, Leviss and Sandoval, 40, made headlines after Madix, 38, allegedly discovered explicit videos of Leviss amid her nine-year relationship with Sandoval. The news of the duo’s months-long affair not only rocked Bravo fans but also became a pop cultural juggernaut of epic proportions.
Now, Leviss alleges that she was a “victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man” who filmed sexually explicit videos “without her knowledge or consent.” She further claims that the recordings were “distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a scorned woman [Madix] seeking vengeance.”
The events led her to seek help in a facility while “Bravo, Evolution, and the cast milked the interest her excoriation had peaked.”
Amid the fallout, the lawsuit claims that the Rachel Goes Rogue host was “misled” by Bravo and Evolution into believing she was “contractually barred from speaking out about her mistreatment.” It alleges that Leviss “suffered in silence” as a result while other parties involved with Scandoval reaped “unseen levels of public recognition and professional opportunity.”
The documents continue, “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.”
In addition to compensatory, special, general and consequential damages, Leviss seeks that Madix and Sandoval cease distribution and destroy all copies made of the alleged explicit video. She also asks that her attorney fees be compensated and the court provide other and further relief deemed as just and proper.
We love a good reality TV scandal like everyone else — but we’re officially tired of ‘Scandoval.’
