Tom Sandoval Counters Rachel Leviss' Revenge Porn Lawsuit, Claims Filing Is an 'Attempt to Extend Her Fame'

Tom Sandoval is responding to Rachel "Raquel" Leviss’ revenge porn lawsuit amid the ongoing fallout of Scandoval.

In legal documents obtained by PEOPLE, attorneys for the Vanderpump Rules star, 41, claim the lawsuit “is a thinly veiled attempt to extend [Leviss’] fame and to rebrand herself as the victim instead of the other woman.” 

The filing alleges that Leviss, 29, is also “denigrating her former friend” Ariana Madix as a “scorned woman” and “her former paramour” Sandoval as “predatory.”

The attorneys claim since November 2023, Leviss has “actively maintained a provocative podcast, Rachel Goes Rogue, to further bend the narrative to her will.”

Furthermore, the legal response alleges that Leviss’ claims against Sandoval “are based on her allegation that [he] surreptitiously recorded two videos of [her] ‘in a state of undress and masturbating’ during their less-than-discrete public affair.” 

The attorneys counter that allegation, claiming, “These videos were created by Leviss and published by Leviss to Sandoval via a consensual exchange on FaceTime… Based on Leviss’ own allegations, Sandoval merely saved private copies of the videos that Leviss filmed and shared with him.”

The attorneys are requesting Leviss’ lawsuit either be dismissed or amended.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Leviss' lawyers Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman say, "Sandoval’s response in the face of irrefutable evidence that will be presented in court is disturbing."

"Leveraging such claims for media attention and perpetuating victim-blaming is not just deplorable but actionable," they add.

In February 2024, Leviss sued Sandoval and Madix, 38, for eavesdropping, revenge porn and invasion of privacy. 

The document obtained by PEOPLE at the time claimed that the events of Scandoval "captured the public's attention in a massive way" and went viral in a way that "caused mayhem in Leviss's life" in the form of months-long voluntary treatment at a mental health facility and her eventual departure from the show.

In conjunction with Bravo, Evolution Media and the rest of the Vanderpump Rules cast, Leviss stated that she was subjected to a public skewering" and became "one of the most hated women in America.

In March 2023, Leviss and Sandoval made headlines after Madix allegedly discovered explicit videos of Leviss amid her nine-year relationship with Sandoval. The news of the duo's months-long affair not only rocked Bravo fans but also became a pop cultural juggernaut of epic proportions.

Leviss claimed in the lawsuit that she was a "victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man" who filmed sexually explicit videos "without her knowledge or consent." She further claims that the recordings were "distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a scorned woman [Madix] seeking vengeance."

The events led her to seek help in a facility while "Bravo, Evolution, and the cast milked the interest her excoriation had peaked."

Amid the fallout, the lawsuit claims that the Rachel Goes Rogue host was "misled" by Bravo and Evolution into believing she was "contractually barred from speaking out about her mistreatment." It alleges that Leviss "suffered in silence" as a result while other parties involved with Scandoval reaped "unseen levels of public recognition and professional opportunity."

The documents continue, "Meanwhile, Leviss, who was humiliated and villainized for public consumption, remains a shell of her former self, with her career prospects stunted and her reputation in tatters."

In addition to compensatory, special, general and consequential damages, Leviss is seeking that Madix and Sandoval cease distribution and destroy all copies made of the alleged explicit video. She also asks that her attorney fees be compensated and the court provide other and further relief deemed as just and proper.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.