Tom Sandoval Says He Was Tricked Into Suing Ariana Madix

Credit: Faye’s Vision/Cover Images, Getty Images/JC Olivera/Stringer

Tom Sandoval addressed his recently filed lawsuit against Ariana Madix on Instagram on Thursday night, suggesting that his lawyer misled him into filing the complaint.

As it was revealed that Sandoval, 42, had accused Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, 29, of sustaining damages stemming from their months-long affair due to her own “carelessness and negligence” in response to her revenge porn lawsuit against him and Ariana, 39, the Vanderpump Rules star released a lengthy statement, confirming he’s parted ways with his attorney.

“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 types of lawsuits and urged me to agree to it. The words ‘new lawsuit’ or ‘suing’ were not articulated to me,” he explained in his July 18 post, admitting he “should’ve done more of [his] due diligence.”

According to Sandoval, he removed Matt from his legal team after realizing what the complaint against his ex-girlfriend, who caught him cheating with Raquel in March 2023, actually meant.

“In no way am I suing Ariana. The action against Ariana brought on my behalf is being removed,” he confirmed. “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.”

In other Pump Rules news, Sandoval’s recently filed documents against Raquel alleged that his former mistress acted in “bad faith” when she filed her revenge porn lawsuit against him and Ariana in February 2024 and claimed to be the “victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man.”

As fans will recall, Sandoval reportedly filmed their racy FaceTime sessions “without her knowledge or consent,” only for Ariana to find them and supposedly send them to Raquel and other third parties, which Ariana denies.

In Sandoval’s court documents, obtained by PEOPLE on July 18, he shaded Raquel, stating that her “carelessness and negligence” led to the suit and adding that the damages sustained were caused by her own “negligence, breach, and fault.”

It was also noted that Raquel failed “to mitigate whatever damages, if any,” she suffered.

Raquel had “full knowledge of the consequences” of her interaction with Sandoval and therefore, “voluntarily” exposed herself to what she claims she endured thereafter, he explained.

According to Sandoval’s filing, which asks for Raquel’s lawsuit to be dismissed and for his legal fees to be covered, Raquel should be blocked from requesting damages under “the doctrine of unclean hands” because she “did not act reasonably and in good faith.”

Sandoval’s filing also stated that Raquel “relinquished her right of privacy” when she took on her former role on Pump Rules.

Vanderpump Rules is on pause ahead of its 12th season.