Why Tom Sandoval Is Withdrawing Lawsuit Against Ariana Madix

It looks like Tom Sandoval isn’t suing his ex Ariana Madix after all!

Earlier this week, it was reported that Sandoval sued Madix over videos of Rachel “Raquel” Leviss that she found on his phone.

Now, Tom is clearing the air on social media.

He insisted on Instagram, “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.”

As for what happened, Sandoval explained, “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 assured me that the action was customary and strictly preventative in these type 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. Upon realizing what this action actually means, I have removed Matt Geragos from my legal team.”

According to the docs obtained by Us Weekly, Ariana “obtained access” to Tom’s phone on March 1, 2023, and accessed explicit videos of Leviss without “authorization or permission.”

The papers accused Madix of making copies of the video and distributing them to “Leviss and third parties.”

In February, Leviss filed a lawsuit against Tom and Ariana in February claiming — among other things — that explicit videos of her were allegedly filmed “without her knowledge or consent” and “distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a scorned woman [Madix] seeking vengeance."

Sandoval and Madix tried to have the case thrown out, but a judge has now set a court date for November 2025.

The aftermath of Ariana finding the videos played out on “Vanderpump Rules” as Tom and Ariana broke up after nine years together. Leviss ultimately left the show.