Raquel Leviss Accuses Ariana Madix of Causing ‘Emotional Distress’ and ‘Loss of Self-Esteem’ in Legal Filing!
Raquel Leviss Accuses Ariana Madix of Causing ‘Emotional Distress’ and ‘Loss of Self-Esteem’ in Legal Filing!
In a new court declaration, Raquel Leviss accuses Ariana Madix of being responsible for causing significant ’emotional distress’ and ‘loss of self-esteem.’
Raquel Leviss has pointed fingers at her former Vanderpump Rules co-star, Ariana Madix, attributing significant emotional distress to her actions and criticizing Ariana’s attempt to evade their invasion of privacy lawsuit, as exclusively reported by In Touch.
In a poignant declaration obtained by In Touch, 29-year-old Raquel detailed her ongoing legal battle against Ariana Madix, 39, and Tom Sandoval, shedding light on the intense emotional toll she has endured.
In a startling lawsuit, Raquel has confessed to engaging in an affair with Tom Sandoval, 39, during his long-term relationship with Ariana. Raquel alleges that Tom covertly recorded explicit FaceTime calls between them. According to Raquel, Ariana discovered these recordings, which ultimately contributed to the couple’s breakup.
Furthermore, Raquel accuses Ariana of disseminating these intimate videos to third parties as a means of embarrassing her.
Tom Sandoval vehemently denied these accusations, dismissing them as an attempt by his former fling to prolong her moment in the spotlight.
Recently, a judge rejected Sandoval’s request to dismiss the lawsuit, allowing the claims against him to proceed. Meanwhile, Ariana has insisted on the dismissal of all allegations against her.
Ariana has vehemently denied allegations that she shared explicit videos of Raquel, asserting in a legal declaration filed in the case that she only watched the videos alone and did not distribute them to anyone else.
“I did not send the videos to anyone else. Nor did I share, display, or show the videos to anyone else,” Ariana stated in her declaration. “To be clear, I only saw the video of [Raquel] masturbating in places secluded from others.”
In response to Ariana’s defense, Raquel’s legal team, led by prominent attorneys Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman, criticized Ariana’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the case is not about free speech but rather about privacy violations and harassment.
“Although Madix attempts to recast the lawsuit as an attack on her right to speak freely on matters of public concern, it is no such thing,” stated Raquel’s legal team. “Madix does not have a free speech right to break into the phone of her boyfriend and siphon away nonconsensual pornographic materials. Nor does she have a legal right to disseminate such material to menace and terrorize.”
Raquel herself has provided a detailed declaration outlining her perspective on the situation. She explained that her introduction to Vanderpump Rules in 2016 was through her relationship with another cast member, James Kennedy. Following their breakup, Raquel described feeling increasingly isolated.
Raquel revealed, “I began confiding in Sandoval, who had been in a relationship with Madix since 2014 and lived with her in Valley Village, California. Over time, we grew closer, and I relied on him for emotional support. He confided in me about the deteriorating state of his relationship with Madix, describing it as more of a business partnership and inevitable breakup. I saw Sandoval as a trusted confidante and friend, and our relationship was strictly platonic. However, it became increasingly evident that Sandoval had other intentions.”
“By the summer of 2022, Sandoval had broken down my defenses. We began a sexual relationship in August and continued until early 2023. These encounters were not filmed or recorded for Vanderpump Rules and occurred privately, without any other individuals present,” she clarified.
Raquel recounted the sequence of events, stating, “During this time, Sandoval and I regularly communicated privately in real-time via videoconference on Facetime, sometimes involving sexual content. All of these communications were confidential, and I believed they would remain so. Sandoval never sought my permission to record them, and I was unaware he was doing so. Had I known, I would have vehemently refused. If I had discovered he recorded me without consent, I would have been furious and demanded their immediate deletion. Under no circumstances would I have consented to being recorded in a vulnerable state.”
Raquel further detailed Ariana’s reaction upon discovering the videos, recalling:
“Ariana texted me saying I was ‘DEAD’ to her.” She added, “From the tone and content of Ariana’s messages, it was evident she was deeply enraged. While I expected her anger given the circumstances, I became alarmed and fearful about her intentions based on her subsequent actions.”
Explaining the basis of her lawsuit, Raquel clarified, “It wasn’t just that Ariana discovered the recordings and confronted me about their content. If that were the extent, she would not be named in this lawsuit. However, that is not all. In her own sworn testimony, Ariana admits to stealing and disseminating the recordings. She shared the videos from Sandoval’s phone with herself and at least with me.”
The former Vanderpump Rules star revealed the toll this ordeal took on her mental health, stating, “Since Ariana’s disclosure, I have been grappling with profound and disturbing thoughts. My mental health deteriorated drastically, and I recognized the urgent need for psychological intervention.” Raquel disclosed that she enrolled in a three-month mental health program costing $115,000 to address the severe impact on her well-being.
She continued, “Ariana Madix’s suggestion that my mental health struggles were brief or minor is completely untrue. The events outlined in the lawsuit caused me extreme distress, leading me to seek treatment in a deeply dark and frightening mental state. My symptoms included severe emotional distress, physical manifestations of that distress, anxiety, shock, embarrassment, loss of self-esteem, shame, humiliation, powerlessness, sleeplessness, nightmares, and an inability to find joy in life.”
“While I have made progress since March 2023, my recovery remains ongoing,” she stated in a declaration dated June 27. “I can firmly assert that Ariana Madix’s actions, as detailed, significantly exacerbated the severity of my emotional distress. The urgency and scope of my treatment needs were directly caused by Madix’s theft, dissemination, and ongoing possession of the illicit materials.”
As of now, a judge has not yet made a ruling on Ariana’s motion in response to the lawsuit.
