Ariana Madix Claims Rachel Leviss Is Seeking to 'Punish' and 'Blame' Her with Revenge Porn Lawsuit

Attorneys for Madix claim that once news of the affair broke, "much of the public discussion" about Rachel 'Raquel' Leviss was "negative, [but] she was thrilled to be in the public eye"

Ariana Madix is responding to Rachel "Raquel" Leviss’ revenge porn lawsuit.

In new legal documents obtained by PEOPLE, attorneys for the Vanderpump Rules star, 38, claimed Madix learned of her ex Tom Sandoval’s affair with Leviss in “in the worst possible way” by discovering a video on his phone of the pair “having phone sex.”

According to the filing, the Dancing with the Stars alum was “devastated and immediately confronted” Sandoval, 40, and Leviss, 29, about their alleged “betrayal” as well as informing her friends and colleagues.

Related: Tom Sandoval Suggests Rachel Leviss 'Stop Talking About Me' If She Wants to Move On: But 'Girl's Gotta Eat'

However, the attorneys claim she did not “share or show any of the video footage she found” with anyone but Leviss.

“In fact, Ms. Madix could not have shared such footage because Mr. Sandoval deleted it from her phone within minutes of Ms. Madix confronting him—a fact Ms. Madix stated in writing 33 minutes after sending the videos to [Leviss],” the filing alleges.

Madix's attorneys claim Leviss is seeking to “punish her and blame Ms. Madix for the negative reaction [Leviss] received as a result of her affair with Mr. Sandoval.”

Furthermore, the filing alleges that Leviss’ lawsuit is “an abuse of the legal process,” adding, “[Leviss] does not seek to vindicate any cognizable rights but to punish Ms. Madix, and deter others, from exercising their constitutionally protected right of free speech.”

The attorneys are requesting Leviss’ claims be stricken and Madix be rewarded her attorneys’ fees.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Leviss' lawyers Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman say, "The only thing more laughable than Ariana’s motion is her fairytale account of how she discovered the relationship from Tom’s phone."

"Meanwhile, we look forward to cross examining her on her declaration, as we have irrefutable evidence that the videos were distributed," the statement continues. "Lastly, the forensic 'expert' states that the video is not 'NOW' on her phone, well after the events in question and with months of notice that her actions had put her in legal jeopardy."

Related: VPR: Sandoval Begins 'Spiraling' Upon Realizing Rachel 'Wasn't in Love' with Him and Their Romance Was a 'F--- Fest'

The attorneys also detail the night that Madix allegedly discovered Sandoval’s affair with Madix on March 1, 2023. After Sandoval’s phone fell from his pocket during a performance at a club in West Hollywood, Madix decided to check it.

“Call it woman’s intuition, when the set ended, Ms. Madix felt the need to check Mr. Sandoval’s phone and went to the women’s room for privacy,” the filing alleges. “In a locked stall, she accessed the phone and saw strangely suspicious text messages between Mr. Sandoval and [Leviss]. Ms. Madix then opened the photo app on Mr. Sandoval’s phone and was shocked to find a video of a Facetime call between Mr. Sandoval and [Leviss] that showed Mr. Sandoval’s face in the upper corner while the main image was of [Leviss] masturbating.”

After allegedly snapping “two short recordings of the video,” Madix confronted her ex about the affair. Sandoval then tried to move Madix away from the club as he was concerned they would be overheard. Madix allegedly “sent the videos she recorded” to Leviss along with a text message reading, “you’re dead to me.”

However, the filing claims Madix did “not share, display, or send the video to anyone else.” The attorneys allege “a heated argument” with Sandoval ensued, where he “forcibly grabbed” Madix’s phone from her and deleted the videos she had recorded in the bathroom stall.

Related: Tom Sandoval Says He 'Would Have Done Anything' for Rachel Leviss During Affair: 'That Connection Was Real'

Following the argument, Madix said she texted a friend about what had happened, stating, “i called [Leviss] after finding out and texting her the videos of herself from tom’s phone that i took[.] tom took my phone and deleted them[.] chased him all the way down san vicente[.]”

The motion also claims that once news of the affair broke, “much of the public discussion about [Leviss] was negative, [but] she was thrilled to be in the public eye.”

Contrary to her allegations in the lawsuit, the attorneys claim, "[Leviss] made numerous public statements about her affair with Mr. Sandoval in which she admitted that Ms. Madix did not know about it, apologized for hurting Ms. Madix, and admitted that Plaintiff had personal issues she needed to work on. At no time did [Leviss] claim that Ms. Madix had caused her any harm.”

After leaving treatment at a mental health facility, the attorneys allege Leviss sought to “capitalize on her new-found fame” with podcast appearances, magazine covers and an appearance at New York Fashion Week.

Related: Tom Sandoval Counters Rachel Leviss' Revenge Porn Lawsuit, Claims Filing Is an 'Attempt to Extend Her Fame'

Leviss first sued Sandoval and Madix for eavesdropping, revenge porn and invasion of privacy in February 2024, The lawsuit came about a year after Leviss and Sandoval's affair was exposed, subsequently ending Madix's nine-year relationship with Sandoval. The news not only rocked Bravo fans but also became a pop cultural juggernaut of epic proportions.

In Leviss' initial lawsuit, which was obtained by PEOPLE at the time, her attorneys claimed that the events of Scandoval "captured the public's attention in a massive way" and went viral in a way that "caused mayhem in Leviss's life" in the form of months-long voluntary treatment at a mental health facility and her eventual departure from the show.

She also claimed that she was a "victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man" who filmed sexually explicit videos "without her knowledge or consent," and that the recordings were "distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a scorned woman [Madix] seeking vengeance."

The events led her to seek help in a facility while "Bravo, Evolution, and the cast milked the interest her excoriation had peaked." Leviss alleged she was "misled" by Bravo and Evolution into believing she was "contractually barred from speaking out about her mistreatment," and she "suffered in silence" as a result while other parties involved with Scandoval reaped "unseen levels of public recognition and professional opportunity."

The documents continue, "Meanwhile, Leviss, who was humiliated and villainized for public consumption, remains a shell of her former self, with her career prospects stunted and her reputation in tatters."

In addition to compensatory, special, general and consequential damages, Leviss is seeking that Madix and Sandoval cease distribution and destroy all copies made of the alleged explicit video. She also asks that her attorney fees be compensated and the court provide other and further relief deemed as just and proper.

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Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.

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