It’s been years, but we all know that Scandoval walked so that Scamanda could run. And now, as news continues to mount about the Summer House stars, we’re reminded of the OG friend betrayal duo of Rachel Leviss and Ariana Madix. An update is expected to be released today regarding Rachel’s lawsuit against her former friend.
Ariana Madix appealed the denial of her anti-SLAPP motion
It’s been a couple of years, so let’s do a quick recap. Like the currently viral Scamanda, in 2023, the Bravo universe exploded when it was revealed that Tom Sandoval was cheating on his girlfriend Ariana with Rachel. All three Vanderpump Rules stars were put under the microscope.
Naturally, Tom and Rachel faced immense backlash (not unlike the negative press that West Wilson and Amanda Batula are getting now). In 2024, though, things took another turn when Rachel decided to file a lawsuit against Tom and Ariana for what she called “revenge porn.” According to Rachel, Tom recorded an intimate video call, which Ariana found on his phone and, she alleges, subsequently shared.
Since then, Ariana filed an Anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss Rachel’s lawsuit. This stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. These are lawsuits with no legal basis. Instead, the goal is to silence critics. These types of lawsuits are filed to prevent negative publicity from growing.
The court denied Ariana’s motion, but she appealed it. Now, the California Court of Appeals, Second Appellate District, Division Eight, will hear oral arguments from Ariana’s legal team regarding her appeal of the court’s denial of her Anti-SLAPP motion.
The court’s tentative opinion suggests that the panel may uphold the lower court’s ruling because it does not consider the alleged conduct protected activity under California’s Anti-SLAPP statute. This may change or stay the same after they hear the appeal.
In either case, things are still moving in Rachel’s case, which many fans and friends thought was in poor taste. And if the court upholds the denial, the case will proceed.
Vanderpump Rules is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK RACHEL’S CASE IS SOLID? DO YOU THINK SHE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PURSUE IT?
