Tom Sandoval is reversing course on a lawsuit he filed against ex-girlfriend and Vanderpump Rules co-star Ariana Madix this week, claiming in a social media post on Thursday that his legal team didn’t completely convey to him what the filing was, and that he’s since fired his lawyer.
“Late Tuesday afternoon, my attorney, Matt Geragos, whose advice I trusted, called me about the cross-complaint in the lawsuit against myself and Ariana,” Sandoval wrote on Instagram. “He assured me that the action was customary and strictly preventative in these types of lawsuits and urged me to agree to it. The words ‘new suit’ or ‘suing’ were not articulated to me. I should’ve done more of my due diligence on the matter. Upon realizing what this action actually means, I have removed Matt Geragos from my legal team. In no way am I suing Ariana.”
Sandoval filed the suit Tuesday as the latest wrinkle in the ongoing Scandoval drama. Last year, Madix found an “intimate” FaceTime recording on Sandoval’s phone depicting fellow VPR co-star Raquel Leviss, confirming an affair the two were having behind Madix’s back. Leviss later sued Sandoval and Madix in February over claims of eavesdropping, revenge porn, and invasion of privacy.
Sandoval’s cross-complaint Tuesday included claims that Madix obtained access to his cell phone and the FaceTime video “without authorization or permission.” The cross-complaint also called for punitive damages for Sandoval.
Reps for Sandoval, Madix, Leviss, and Geragos did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
“The action against Ariana brought on my behalf is being removed,” Sandoval said in Thursday’s post. “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.”
While Sandoval appears to have dropped his suit against Madix, she faces a separate lawsuit filed Thursday in which a woman alleges that Madix and fellow VPR star Katie Maloney failed to honor an oral agreement that guaranteed the woman a 10 percent partnership stake in a sandwich shop they previously opened in West Hollywood.
