“Vanderpump Rules” star Tom Sandoval is standing down in his legal scuffle against ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix.
Sandoval, whose cheating scandal last year rocked the “Vanderpump Rules” fan base, clarified that he has no intentions to take legal action against his former longtime girlfriend, even though a now-ex-attorney encouraged him to file a cross-complaint in Los Angeles earlier this week. The complaint was part of a larger lawsuit from co-star Rachel Leviss, who sued Sandoval and Madix in February for eavesdropping, revenge porn, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
“[Attorney Matthew Geragos] assured me that the action was customary and strictly preventative in these types of lawsuits and urged me to agree to it,” Sandoval said in an Instagram statement Thursday. “The words ‘New Lawsuit’ or ‘Suing’ were not articulated to me.”
Geragos, whom Sandoval said he had “removed” from his legal team since the cross-complaint was filed, did not immediately respond to The Times on Friday.
The cross-complaint was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. In it, Sandoval, 40, accuses Madix, 38, of invasion of privacy. The complaint accused Madix of going through Sandoval’s phone in 2023 without his “authorization or permission.” She allegedly “reviewed images information, data, videos and/or communications,” including the sexually explicit FaceTime footage of co-star Rachel Leviss, 29, that launched the Scandoval cheating scandal.
Madix also allegedly made copies of the explicit Leviss footage and “distributed the [videos] to Leviss and third parties” without Sandoval’s consent, the complaint said. Sandoval was seeking general damages, legal fees and more.
Jordan Susman, an attorney for Madix, condemned Sandoval and the complaint in a statement shared with The Times earlier this week. He also accused the TomTom restaurateur of trying to “shirk personal responsibilities for the effects his actions had” on Madix.
In a statement to The Times on Friday, Susman said his team is “pleased that Mr. Sandoval has stated his intention to dismiss his cross-complaint against Ms. Madix.”
He added: “This entire lawsuit against Ms. Madix is without merit, and it is only a matter of time before it is dismissed completely.”
Sandoval said in his Thursday statement that he “should’ve done more of my due diligence” and doubled down that “in no way am I suing Ariana,” adding that the cross-complaint 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,” he said.
Sandoval and Madix had been in a romantic relationship for nine years, but in March 2023, Madix learned that he had been cheating on her with co-star Leviss. Days after People broke the news about the Sandoval-Madix split, both Sandoval and Leviss apologized — in since-deleted Instagram posts — for their involvement in the affair. The scandal spawned intrigue among “Vanderpump Rules” devotees and nonfans alike. It also launched each of the members of the reality TV trio to a new level of national attention — whether they wanted it or not.
A year after “Scandoval,” the tabloid controversy is still following Sandoval, Madix and Leviss — and it seems it will continue to do so well into next year. The trial for Leviss’ revenge-porn case against Sandoval and Madix is set to begin in Los Angeles in November 2025.
