Tom Sandoval Sues Ariana Madix Over 'Right to Privacy' Claims

Tom Sandoval is suing his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix for allegedly invading his privacy and distributing explicit videos of him and Rachel Leviss without his permission.

On July 17, the Vanderpump Rules star, 42, filed a lawsuit against Madix, 39, for allegedly accessing his phone without his "permission" and reviewing "images, information, data, videos and/or communications" that included "FaceTime videos" between him and Leviss, the costar with whom he was having an affair.

In the complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Sandoval, 42, claimed that Madix "made copies of the data and distributed the data to Leviss and third parties without [his] authorization or permission."

The alleged incident happened on March 1, 2023, which was just two days before PEOPLE confirmed that Sandoval and Madix had broken up after nine years together as a result of his affair with Leviss.

In the lawsuit, he claimed that Madix "invaded [his] right to privacy” through her "unauthorized and unpermitted access to, use of and copying of the data on [his] cell phone and her distribution of [the data] to Leviss."

He further alleged that the Love Island USA host, 39, is "guilty of oppression, fraud, or malice" because she "acted with the intent to vex, injure, or annoy [Sandoval] and/or with a willful and conscious disregard of [Sandoval]’s rights."

Sandoval is seeking "punitive damages" for Madix's alleged actions.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Madix's attorney Jordan Susman said Madix is "confident that a jury will see through this latest ploy and dismiss his frivolous claims."

"It is abhorrent that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix.  From engaging in an illicit affair that shattered her home and stability, to months of emotional warfare and now this attempt to further shirk personal responsibility for the effects his actions have had on her and her emotional wellbeing," Susman claimed. "Mr. Sandoval knows full well what sort of privileges he and Ms. Madix shared in regard to their personal communication devices. If he or his mistress had their way, it would be illegal for someone to discover their spouse or significant other was having an affair."

"For Mr. Sandoval to go from begging Ms. Madix for forgiveness to blaming her for his wrongdoing speaks for itself," he continued. "Even months after the New York Times branded Mr. Sandoval 'the most hated man in America,' he has clearly learned nothing and believes it necessary to continue torturing Ms. Madix in a vain effort to rehabilitate his image."

Us Weekly was first to report the news of Sandoval's lawsuit.

Sandoval's suit comes nearly five months after Leviss, 29, sued him and Madix over claims of eavesdropping, revenge porn and invasion of privacy.

In the filing obtained by PEOPLE in February, the television personality claimed that the events of Scandoval "captured the public's attention in a massive way" which "caused mayhem in Leviss's life" resulting in a months-long voluntary stay at a mental health facility and her departure from VPR.

Sandoval countered the suit and claimed that Leviss' filing was a "thinly veiled attempt to extend [her] fame and to rebrand herself as the victim instead of the other woman."

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His response also touched on the FaceTime videos that he is now suing Madix for allegedly sharing. In his April filing, Sandoval countered her allegation that he "surreptitiously recorded two videos of [her] ‘in a state of undress and masturbating’." The filing claimed, “These videos were created by Leviss and published by Leviss to Sandoval via a consensual exchange on FaceTime."

He further alleged that he "merely saved private copies of the videos that Leviss filmed and shared with him.”

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