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Raquel Leviss might be used to being the most hated woman on the internet, but she wants a say in crafting her own story even at the cost of a lawsuit. The tenth season of the Bravo reality show, Vanderpump Rules has by far been the most explosive. At the center of it all was the season’s villain Raquel Leviss, who had an affair with Ariana Madix’s then-partner Tom Sandoval under everyone’s noses in what came to be known as Scandoval. Following the final blowup, Raquel offered a public apology for her wrong, eventually checking herself into a mental health facility to undergo mental health and trauma therapy. Thus, everyone moved on. Well, not everyone.
Raquel Levis Files Lawsuit Against Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss
Tom and Ariana returned to film the eleventh season of the show and even snagged other onscreen deals and endorsements. But Raquel’s role, despite the fame it garnered, left her on the wrong end of the benefit rope, or as she puts it, “damaged her career.” With so much more than her reputation and career at stake, Raquel Leviss is hitting Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix with a post-scandoval lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court presented Raquel Leviss as the poor victim of a “predatory” Tom. Mostly centered around a sexually explicit FaceTime video that Tom allegedly recorded without her consent, Raquel accused the former couple of working to damage her career, ultimately making her “one of the most hated women in America.”
The reality star acknowledged her affair with Tom as “morally objectionable” and hurtful. However, she believed herself a victim of the “predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man.” The Lawuit accused Tom Sandoval of secretly recording sexually explicit clips of her, which were eventually distributed by Ariana Madix, “a scorned woman seeking revenge.”
Contracted Into Silence
Raquel Leviss’ lawsuit claimed Bravo and Evolution Media refused her a chance to tell her side of the story in a deliberate attempt to sacrifice her for commercial interest. They also deliberately made Raquel believe her contract forbade her to speak out. Ultimately, the side of “Scandoval” told to the public cast her in a bad light, leading to her departure from VPR even as Tom and Ariana soared through season 11. The scandal also forced Raquel to seek months-long treatment for her mental health, per the lawsuit.
While the involved parties remain mum since the filing, netizens have left explosive comments sharing their thoughts on the lawsuit. For many, suing a “scorned woman” for the unpleasant aftermath of having a secret affair with her partner was a lowly move, even for Raquel.