California Appeals Court Allows Rachel Leviss' Lawsuit Against Ariana Madix to Proceed

A California appeals court has denied Ariana Madix's attempt to dismiss Rachel Leviss' lawsuit, effectively letting the case proceed through the legal system. The decision comes after Madix argued that she acted protected by free speech because the "Scandoval" affair became public.

According to court documents cited by TMZ, the appeals court rejected Madix's argument, finding that the public attention surrounding the affair did not make Leviss' private sexual videos public. Judges stated that while the affair received extensive media coverage, it did not supersede Leviss' right to maintain control over her personal content.

The ruling centers on claims made by Leviss in her 2024 lawsuit against Madix. Leviss claims Madix accessed private videos on Tom Sandoval's phone, copied them, and shared them with others. According to the lawsuit, the videos allegedly showed Leviss undressed and masturbating. Leviss also sued Sandoval for alleged involvement in distributing the videos.

The appeals court emphasized that its decision does not address the truth of Leviss' allegations but merely allows the lawsuit to advance based on existing law regarding sharing explicit material. Consequently, Leviss will now press ahead with pursuing her claims against Madix through the California courts.