In a bizarre twist of events, Tom Sandoval has backtracked on his lawsuit against his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix, claiming his attorney didn’t tell him he was “suing” her.
On July 18, news hit the headlines that Tom was suing Ariana for accessing explicit videos of his ex-mistress and Vanderpump Rules co-star Racquel Leviss on his phone without prior “authorisation.”
Tom deleted his Instagram after the announcement was made, but he’s now claiming that his lawyer made the move without properly briefing him.
Read on to find out more about the s**t show between Ariana and her ex.
What happened between Ariana and Tom?
For those who (somehow) missed it, Tom and Ariana were in a nine-year relationship when she found a video on his phone in March 2023 that uncovered his affair with Racquel. The whole thing played out on Vanderpump Rules and was dubbed Scandoval.
Racquel later launched an ongoing lawsuit against both Ariana and Tom for revenge porn, eavesdropping and invasion of privacy. Now Tom has started his own legal battle and he’s coming for Ariana.
Why was Tom Sandoval suing Ariana Madix?
Ariana famously learned about her ex’s affair when he dropped his phone at his band’s gig, and she had a gut feeling to look inside. Once she opened up Tom’s phone, Ariana found a sexually explicit recording of Racquel.
“I found a screen recording of them on FaceTime. It was literally from the night before. That’s when I called Raquel and started making her tell me [when everything started],” Ariana recounted on an episode of Vanderpump Rules.
Court documents lodged by Tom’s team and obtained by US Weekly on Tuesday, July 16, claim that Ariana “obtained access” to his phone without his “authorisation or permission”.
The filing alleges that Ariana “made copies” of the video and distributed it to Racquel “and third parties” against his authority.
Is Tom Sandoval still suing Ariana Madix?
Nope – Tom has retracted his new lawsuit just days after it was originally announced.
“Late Tuesday afternoon, my attorney, Matt Geragos, whose advice I trusted, called me about the Cross-Complaint in the lawsuit against myself and Ariana,” Tom began in a statement.
“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. I should’ve done more of my due diligence on the matter,” he continued.
The Vanderpump Rules star told his followers that he had fired his attorney, who is coincidently the brother of Racquel’s attorney, which is… a bit suss?
“Upon realizing what this action actually means, I have removed Matt Geragos from my legal team. In no way am I suing Ariana. The action against Ariana brought on my behalf is being removed.
“I hold no ill will or vindictiveness toward Ariana. Now, 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.”
What did Ariana Madix say about the original lawsuit launched by Tom?
Ariana hasn’t personally addressed the new lawsuit, however, her attorney Jordan Susman shared a scathing statement with Us Weekly.
“It is abhorrent that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix,” he began.
“From engaging in an illicit affair that shattered her home and stability, to months of emotional warfare and now this attempt to further shirk personal responsibility for the effects his actions have had on her and her emotional wellbeing.
“Tom Sandoval knows full well what sort of privileges he and Ms. Madix shared in regard to their personal communication devices.”
Her attorney made a pointed reference to a New York Times article about Tom that detailed his affair with Racquel.
“If he or his mistress had their way, it would be illegal for someone to discover their spouse or significant other was having an affair,” the statement continued.
“For Mr. Sandoval to go from begging Ms. Madix for forgiveness to blaming her for his wrongdoing speaks for itself.
“Even months after the New York Times branded Mr. Sandoval ‘the most hated man in America,’ he has clearly learned nothing and believes it necessary to continue torturing Ms. Madix in a vain effort to rehabilitate his image.
“Ms. Madix is confident that a jury will see through this latest ploy and dismiss his frivolous claims.”
What did Tom say about lawsuit?
Tom’s (former) attorney Matthew Geragos also shared a statement with Us Weekly and explained his reasoning behind the (now defunct) lawsuit.
“While Tom Sandoval accepts responsibility for his affair, he strongly denies the allegations of the lawsuit filed by Rachel Leviss against him and Ms. Madix,” the statement read, referring to the aforementioned lawsuit Racquel [legal name Rachel Leviss] lodged for revenge porn, eavesdropping and invasion of privacy.
“In order to ensure a fair and just determination of responsibility among all parties involved, we filed a cross-complaint on behalf of Mr. Sandoval.
“This customary legal action was crucial to ensure that liability, if any, is fairly distributed based on the actual level of involvement and fault of each party.
“We aim to resolve this legal dispute with upmost respect towards all parties involved.”
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