About-Face: Tom Sandoval Wants to Scrap Lawsuit Against Ariana Madix, Says He Fired His Attorney and Holds No 'Ill Will' Toward Ex
July 18 2024, Published 8:58 p.m. ET
Tom Sandoval fired one of his attorneys and wants to drop his new lawsuit against his ex, Ariana Madix, after learning "what this action actually means".
RadarOnline.com told you earlier this week that Sandoval, 42, filed a complaint accusing Madix, 39, of breaking into his phone to access the explicit videos of Rachel Leviss that led to the former couple's infamous split on Vanderpump Rules.
He alleged that his co-star sent copies of the videos to Leviss and "third parties" without his "authorization or permission".
But in his Instagram post on Thursday, July 18, the reality star said he wasn't fully aware of the nature of the filing, and that his attorney, Mark Geragos "urged me to agree to it".
He said Geragos "assured me that the action was customary and strictly preventative" as he and Madix fight the revenge porn lawsuit Leviss, 29, filed in February.
Sandoval wrote: "Late Tuesday afternoon, my attorney, Matt Geragos, whose advice I trusted, called me about the Cross-Complaint in the lawsuit against myself and Ariana."
He added: "The words 'New Lawsuit' or 'Suing' were not articulated to me. 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. 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."
The legal drama stems from the explosive moment Madix discovered that Sandoval, her live-in boyfriend of nine years, had been cheating on her with Leviss. Madix said she had no knowledge of the seven-month-long affair until she found the videos on her ex's phone in March of last year.
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Leviss' lawsuit accused Sandoval of recording their intimate FaceTime conversations showing her "in a state of undress and masturbating" without her "knowledge or consent", and alleged Madix "distributed them and/or showed them to others."
The dramatic breakup between Sandoval and Madix went on to become one of the most-watched reality TV splits of all time, playing out on season 10 of Vanderpump Rules.