Ariana Madix has filed an “anti-SLAPP” motion to dismiss Rachel Leviss‘ Revenge porn lawsuit against her and her ex, Tom Sandoval.
According to legal documents obtained by ET, the 38-year-old former bartender is asking a Los Angeles court to dismiss the lawsuit filed in February by Leviss, 29, in which she accused Sandoval, 40, and Madix of creating and listening to revenge porn have , intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy.
In their new filing, Madix’s legal team calls Leviss’ case an example of a “SLAPP” lawsuit – a strategic lawsuit against public participation – and demands that all three lawsuits filed against their client – revenge porn production, infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy – will be dismissed. They are also demanding that Madix’s legal fees be covered by Leviss under the anti-SLAPP law in California – the state where the case is based – and say their lawsuit is “an abuse of the court process.”
A SLAPP lawsuit is defined as a legal action by a party intended to “stop its critics from continuing to produce negative publicity. “SLAPP lawsuits, by definition, have no real legal claims against the critics,” they said Cornell Law School. Madix claims that Leviss’ lawsuit is “not intended to defend cognizable rights, but rather to punish them” and deter her and others from “exercising their constitutionally protected right to free speech.”
Contrary to the claims Leviss and her team did it Madix’s attorneys – Jordan Susman and Margo Arnold – claim that Madix’s attorneys – Jordan Susman and Margo Arnold – are completely in the dark about the nature of her affair with Sandoval that has come to light and Madix’s knowledge of the affair her former partner and her partner Vanderpump Rules co-star.
“Mrs Madix knew nothing about the affair. “But on March 1, 2023, Ms. Madix found out about it in the worst possible way: by discovering a video on Mr. Sandoval’s phone of the plaintiff and Mr. Sandoval having phone sex,” Madix’s legal counsel claims.
Madix’s motion for discussion says that while she was “devastated” when she made the discovery and informed her friends and colleagues about the situation, she did not engage in any illegal activity surrounding explicit photos, videos or evidence of the affair between Sandoval and Leviss. that while she was “devastated” when she made the discovery and informed her friends and colleagues of the situation, she did not engage in any illegal activity surrounding explicit photos, videos or evidence of the affair between Sandoval and Leviss.
“One thing Ms. Madix did not do was share or show the video footage she found on Mr. Sandoval’s phone with anyone other than the plaintiff. In fact, Ms. Madix could not have shared this footage because Mr. Sandoval deleted it from her.” “I called Ms. Madix within minutes of the confrontation – a fact that Ms. Madix confirmed 33 minutes after sending the videos to the plaintiff recorded in writing,” Susman and Arnold claim in the legal filing.
The court has yet to decide on Madix’s motion to strike. The next court date is scheduled for July 11.
Madix’s filing comes shortly after Sandoval’s own legal team claimed that Leviss was trying to portray Madix as a “scorned woman” and the TomTom owner as “predatory.” In response, Sandoval also claimed that the Leviss podcast Rachel goes villainis a strategic move to manipulate the narrative.
Regarding Leviss’ claims that Sandoval filmed her intimate FaceTime calls in which she appeared “undressed and masturbating” without her consent, Sandoval’s lawyers argue that the videos in question were allegedly created and shared consensually and that Sandoval was merely private I have saved copies of videos.
Sandoval also requests that Leviss’ lawsuit be either dismissed or modified.
Leviss’ attorneys, Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman, responded to Sandoval’s response, writing: “Sandoval’s reaction in the face of the irrefutable evidence presented in court is disturbing. “Using such claims for media attention and perpetuating victim blaming is not only unfortunate but actionable.”
Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 8pm ET on Bravo.
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