(Photo by Dia Dipasupil\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMadix\u2019s legal team had argued that Leviss\u2019 claims should be dismissed under California\u2019s anti-SLAPP law, which is designed to protect constitutionally protected speech from meritless lawsuits.<\/p>\n
Her attorneys maintained that the events surrounding Tom Sandoval\u2019s affair with Leviss were matters of enormous public interest and that Madix\u2019s alleged conduct fell within those protections.<\/p>\n
The appellate court disagreed.<\/p>\n
According to the ruling, Madix \u201cfailed to meet her burden of establishing\u201d that the claims against her arose from protected activity, allowing Leviss\u2019 lawsuit to proceed.<\/p>\n
The legal dispute traces back to March 2023, when Madix discovered that longtime boyfriend Tom Sandoval had been carrying on a months-long affair with Leviss.<\/p>\n
\nAccording to court filings, Madix accessed Sandoval\u2019s phone and found sexually explicit FaceTime recordings involving Leviss. <\/p>\n
Madix has acknowledged that she copied the videos and sent them to herself before forwarding them to Leviss as part of confronting her about the affair. She has denied distributing the videos publicly.<\/p>\n
Leviss later sued both Sandoval and Madix.<\/p>\n
Her lawsuit alleges invasion of privacy and violations of California\u2019s revenge porn statute against Madix. Sandoval also faces claims related to allegedly recording the videos without Leviss\u2019s knowledge or consent. Madix has denied wrongdoing throughout the litigation.<\/p>\n
Wednesday\u2019s ruling does not determine whether Madix is liable.<\/p>\n
Instead, it clears the way for Leviss\u2019 claims to continue in the trial court after Madix\u2019s attempt to end the case early failed.<\/p>\n
Neither Madix nor Leviss immediately commented publicly on the appellate decision, though representatives for both women were contacted by multiple outlets following the ruling.<\/p>\n
And these days, Sandoval has a separate set of legal problems<\/a> stemming from his problematic breakup with Victoria Lee Robinson.<\/p>\nMore than three years after \u201cScandoval\u201d became one of reality television\u2019s biggest scandals, the personal drama may have faded from Bravo\u2019s cameras, but the legal consequences continue to play out in court.<\/p>\n
While Vanderpump Rules<\/em> has since moved on with a new cast, the lawsuits stemming from the affair remain unresolved, and this latest decision ensures this closely watched case will continue.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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