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Raquel Levisshas taken legal action against herVanderpump RulescostarScheana Shay.
It’s not clear why Leviss filed the papers, however, the move comes amid thefallout with her costarsafter it was revealed that she hadan affair with Tom Sandoval, 40.
Shay was with LevisswhenAriana Madixfound out that Sandoval, her boyfriend of more than nine years, had been cheating on her.
Reps for Shay did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Madix discovered the scandal after she found a video and “inappropriate” messages between the two on Sandoval’s phone while he was performing with his band, Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras, in Los Angeles on March 1.
Also that night, on the other side of the country, Leviss made an appearance with Shay onWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohenwhere she defended her decision to kissTom Schwartz, Sandoval’s best friend and business partner.
After the taping, Leviss admitted to Shay the truth about her and Sandoval, a source told PEOPLE.
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“Scheana was furious,” the source said. “She and all theVanderpump Rulescostars have rallied around Ariana during this time. They can’t believe Raquel would do something like that.”
Leviss also sent a legal notice to her cast mates warning them not to share the recording ofan intimate FaceTime sessionwith Sandoval, which was the video Madix discovered on his phone. Letters were also sent to Sandoval and Madix, respectively.
The reality star’s lawyers ordered that anyone who has access to the recording delete it from their phones, the cloud or “any other manner or method in which the recording may exist.”
RELATED VIDEO: ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Stars Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix Split as Cameras Pick Back Up for Bravo Show
The attorneys also demanded to be informed of “all people to whom you have forwarded this recording or who you may have allowed to view this recording.” In Madix’s letter, lawyers noted that while they “appreciate the distress that this may have caused you,” it is illegal to re-record the footage and could expose her to “criminal and civil penalties.”
According to the lawyers, the distribution of the video would be a violation of California law, which makes it illegal to disseminate nonconsensual pornography. “This would include forwarding the recording to another person, even if only to one other person,” the lawyers noted.
The letter concluded with a warning to theVPRcast, stating, “This matter should be taken very seriously.” At the conclusion of Sandoval’s letter, the lawyer notes, “This is very serious. Your exposure is significant.”
PEOPLE reached out to Leviss' lawyer concerning the protective order but did not immediately hear back.
source: people.com
