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Tom Sandoval just can’t seem to leave his ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix alone.
The “Vanderpump Rules” stars made national headlines last year when cameras captured Madix using Sandoval’s phone — only to find video proof that he was cheating on her with “Vanderpump” colleague Rachel Leviss.
In the wake of the affair, which came to be known as “Scandoval,” Sandoval is now suing Madix for invasion of privacy and seeking punitive damages. In a filing obtained Wednesday by Entertainment Weekly, he reportedly argued Madix had no right to access his phone or the proof of his infidelity.
However, her attorney Jordan Sussman reminded onlookers that it was Sandoval himself who gave Madix his phone. Sussman told EW on Wednesday that the real crime here is the impact “his actions have had on her emotional wellbeing.”
“It is abhorrent that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix,” Sussman told the outlet. “From engaging in an illicit affair that shattered her home and stability, to months of emotional welfare and now this attempt to further shirk personal responsibility.”
“Mr. Sandoval knows full well what sort of privileges he and Ms. Madix shared in regard to their personal communication devices,” he added. “If he or his mistress had their way, it would be illegal for someone to discover their … significant other was having an affair.”
The video itself, meanwhile, came from a FaceTime chat Sandoval recorded. Leviss sued both Sandoval and Madix in February for revenge porn, eavesdropping, invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress for allegedly sharing the chat without her permission.
Nicole Weingart/Bravo/Getty Images
While Sandoval countersued Leviss in April and claimed her filing was a mere attempt to “extend her fame,” Leviss notably sought mental health treatment after “Scandoval” went viral.
Sandoval earned widespread public ire in the aftermath, as Sussman noted Wednesday.
“Even months after The New York Times branded Mr. Sandoval ‘the most hated man in America,’ he has clearly learned nothing and believes it necessary to continue torturing Ms. Madix in a vain effort to rehabilitate his image,” the attorney told EW.
Sussman added that Sandoval went “from begging” Madix for her forgiveness, as chronicled throughout “Vanderpump’s” latest season, “to blaming her for his wrongdoing,” The attorney predicted that a jury will surely “see through this latest ploy and dismiss his frivolous claims.”
Madix famously walked off the show last season but returned for its reunion in May, where she repeatedly dismissed Sandoval and his explanations for the affair. She’s since accomplished her dream of performing on Broadway — and now hosts “Love Island USA.”