Raquel Levissis taking action against herVanderpump Rulescostars amid hercheating scandalwithTom Sandoval.
The Bravo reality star, 28, sent a legal notice to her castmates warning them not to share the recording ofher intimate FaceTime sessionwith Sandoval, which his then-girlfriendAriana Madixdiscovered on his phone. Letters were also sent to Sandoval and Madix, respectively.
Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss.Amanda Edwards/Getty; Emma McIntyre/WireImage; Charles Sykes/Bravo/Getty
The reality star’s lawyers ordered that anyone who has access to the recording delete it from their phones, the cloud or “any other manner or method in which the recording may exist.”
The attorneys also demanded to be informed of “all people to whom you have forwarded this recording or who you may have allowed to view this recording.” In the letter to Madix, lawyers noted that while they “appreciate the distress that this may have caused you,” it is illegal to re-record the footage and could expose her to “criminal and civil penalties.”
According to the lawyers, the distribution of the video would be a violation of the California law, which makes it illegal to disseminate nonconsensual pornography. “This would include forwarding the recording to another person, even if only to one other person,” the lawyers noted.
The letter concluded with a warning to theVPRcast, stating, “This matter should be taken very seriously.” At the conclusion of Sandoval’s letter, the lawyer notes, “This is very serious. Your exposure is significant.”
Vivien Killilea/Getty Images
“Raquel,tell your little Mickey Mouse lawyerif he has stuff to send over, he can send things to my lawyer,” she shared. “Same with the rest of my friends and cast, alright? I never in my life had a lawyer contact me in my personal email, alright? I don’t know if you know how this works. I know you’re pretty brand new to the game. Didn’t last long. Look what you did with your f—ing 15 minutes.”
Paul Archuleta/Getty; JC Olivera/Getty for iHeartRadio
The legal notice comes less than a week after Madix discovered that Sandoval had been cheating on her with Leviss after she found the video and “inappropriate” messages between the two on his phone while he was performing with his band, Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras, in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
By Friday afternoon, sources confirmed to PEOPLE that the two were done. They had been in a monogamous relationship for nine years.
The secret romance between Sandoval and Leviss has been going on “for upwards of 6 months,” an insider said — “all the while, Tom was sleeping next to Ariana in bed.”
“Ariana had been there for Raquel when she went through her split with James [Kennedy]. She thought they were friends,” a second source said. “This isn’t something you do to a friend.”
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Breaking his silenceon the breakup, Sandovalshared a statementon Instagram Saturday saying, “I fully understand and deserve [yo]ur anger and disappointment towards me.”
Indeed, he and Leviss have been getting backlash fromVanderpump Rulesviewers, who have been sharing the #TeamAriana hashtag online.
source: people.com
