Tom Sandoval and Victoria Lee Robinson. Charles Sykes/Bravo
Tom Sandoval’s girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson explained why they both deleted their social media accounts amid the reality star’s lawsuit against ex Ariana Madix.
“We both deactivated our Instagrams once he found out about what the filing really meant,” Robinson, 32, wrote via Instagram comments, which she then screenshotted and shared to her Story.
“We BOTH were shocked and did not want hate and criticism from the public on something when he needed to focus on fixing it immediately without any distractions,” she continued. “So he made a statement knowing he was going to activate his Instagram once it was finished and the issue was resolved before the backlash came in. Hopefully everyone understands.”
Us Weekly broke the news early in July that Sandoval, 42, had filed a lawsuit against Madix, 39, alleging that in March 2023 she had “obtained access” to his phone without “authorization or permission” and viewed explicit videos of Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. It was these videos that led Madix to discover Sandoval and Leviss, 29, had been having a months-long affair.
The relationship may be over, but the living arrangements stay the same. That’s been the case for a number of celebrity exes — including Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval, Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson and more. For Sandoval and Madix — who split in March 2023 after Madix discovered Sandoval had been cheating behind her […]
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, both Sandoval and Robinson exited social media and deactivated their Instagram accounts.
“It is abhorrent that Tom Sandoval continues to torment Ms. Madix,” Jordan Susman, Madix’s lawyer, told Us in a July 16 statement. “From engaging in an illicit affair that shattered her home and stability, to months of emotional warfare and now this attempt to further shirk personal responsibility for the effects his actions have had on her and her emotional wellbeing.”
Susman’s statement continued, “Tom Sandoval knows full well what sort of privileges he and Ms. Madix shared in regard to their personal communication devices. If he or his mistress had their way, it would be illegal for someone to discover their spouse or significant other was having an affair.”
Sandoval, however, returned to social media on Thursday, July 18, to insist that he did not intentionally file a lawsuit against his former partner of nine years.
“Late Tuesday afternoon, my attorney, Matt Geragos, whose advice I trusted, called me about the Cross-Complaint in the lawsuit against myself and Ariana,” he wrote in a statement via Instagram. “He assured me that the action was customary and strictly preventative in these types of lawsuits and urged me to agree to it. The words ‘New Lawsuit’ or ‘Suing’ were not articulated to me. I should’ve done more of my due diligence on the matter.”
Sandoval added that he planned to fire his legal team and that the “action taken against Ariana brought on my behalf is being removed.”
He said, “By removing both the Cross-Complaint and the attorney who recommended it, I hope to get through this case quickly, so that Ariana and I can both finally MOVE ON with our lives.”
