Court Sides With Leviss Against Madix in Privacy Case

A California appellate court has refused to dismiss a privacy and revenge porn lawsuit filed by Raquel Leviss against Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval. The court sided with Leviss on Wednesday, affirming a July 2024 ruling that Madix's alleged actions are not protected speech. The lawsuit centers on allegations that Madix copied explicit videos of Leviss from Sandoval's phone without consent.

Madix admitted to accessing Sandoval's phone and copying FaceTime videos of Leviss while in a bathroom stall. She claims she only sent brief portions of the video directly to Leviss to confront her about an alleged affair with Sandoval. Leviss's lawsuit, which also details Sandoval allegedly making the recordings without consent and Madix sharing them as "revenge porn," has been pending for over two years. Madix has denied sharing the videos with anyone other than Leviss.

Madix was sued for revenge porn, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Sandoval faces similar claims, plus eavesdropping. His own challenge to the lawsuit was also unsuccessful. The video at the center of the legal dispute is widely credited with exposing the affair between Sandoval and Leviss, significantly boosting ratings for their reality show. A status hearing in Leviss's case is scheduled for August 11.