Tom Sandoval is feeling the heat once more, as Rachel Leviss‘ lawyers took aim at him amid the revenge porn lawsuit which was filed earlier this year.
According to RadarOnline, Rachel’s lawyers Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman, who have also worked with the likes of Bethenny Frankel, have asked the court to deny a plea from Sandoval for a number of claims to be dropped. They also want Sandoval’s request for Rachel to not be allowed to seek punitive damages to be rejected.
It appears Sandoval is trying to have Rachel’s lawsuit dismissed. But this could be one battle he cannot worm his way out of.
Rachel’s lawsuit against Sandoval is still active, and her lawyers aren’t going to let it go easilyPhoto Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
Rachel’s lawyers said that “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.”
An official response filed to Sandoval’s motion went further. “Sandoval engaged in conduct sufficiently despicable to warrant punitive damages,” it started. “Sandoval is alleged to have surreptitiously recorded 𝓈ℯ𝓍ually explicit videos of [Rachel] without her knowledge or consent, in effect turning Plaintiff into an unwilling pornstar and gravely invading her right to privacy.”
The response called Sandoval’s behavior “tortious.” It also referred to “significant medical expenses” paid to Rachel’s “in-patient mental health” clinic for treatment.
Sandoval is accused of recording Rachel performing a 𝓈ℯ𝓍ual and intimate act without her knowledge or consent. The lawsuit also goes after her former friend, and Sandoval’s ex-girlfriend, Ariana Madix. Ariana found the alleged videos on Sandoval’s phone, leading to their split, and the phenomena known around the globe as Scandoval.
For her part, Ariana also tried to get the lawsuit against her dismissed. She denies ever distributing revenge porn of Rachel. Her lawyers say she took a new video on her own mobile device of Sandoval’s recording, then sent it to Rachel. It was then supposedly deleted from Ariana’s device, by Sandoval himself, making it impossible to share with anybody else.
As this case rolls on, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
Meanwhile, Vanderpump Rules continues on Bravo and is available to stream on Peacock.