California Appeals Court Rejects Ariana Madix's Anti‑SLAPP Motion in Revenge‑Porn Lawsuit

A California Court of Appeal panel denied Ariana Madix’s request to strike a lawsuit filed by former "Vanderpump Rules" cast member Rachel Leviss. Leviss alleges that Madix accessed, copied and distributed private, sexually explicit videos of Leviss that were originally recorded surreptitiously on Tom Sandoval’s phone during a private FaceTime call. Madix argued the case should be dismissed under California’s anti‑SLAPP statute, claiming the conduct was protected speech on a matter of public interest. The appellate court rejected that argument, stating that Leviss’s status as a public figure does not make every aspect of her private life a public concern, and that the videos depict a private sexual act. The court upheld the trial judge’s decision, allowing Leviss’s claims to proceed.

The ruling cites prior precedent, including a 1990s case involving Bret Michaels and Pamela Anderson, to reinforce that the public status of individuals does not automatically render private sexual recordings a matter of public interest. The decision leaves the underlying civil claims unresolved, but permits the lawsuit to move forward.