Tom Sandoval Opens Up: Feeling the Weight of Punishment Over Rachel Cheating Scandal, Confronting Victoria’s Misconstrued Affair Claim, and Taking Legal Action with a Fresh Attorney Hire - lulu

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A source claimed Tom Sandoval feels he’s been “punished enough” over his cheating scandal with Rachel Leviss.

The insider also addressed his current girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson’s assumption that he cheated on her, which she blasted on social media before admitting she was mistaken. Meanwhile, the Vanderpump Rules star hired a new attorney amid Rachel’s lawsuit, after reports claimed he chose to represent himself.

Last year, Rachel filed a lawsuit against Ariana Madix and Tom for invasion of privacy. It all started in 2023, when Ariana discovered intimate videos of Rachel on her then-boyfriend Tom’s phone. Rachel later claimed that Ariana showed the video to other people, and that the footage itself was screen-recorded without her consent.

In December, Tom parted ways with his previous attorney who had been working with him for several months. Reports suggested that Tom decided to represent himself, though Victoria denied it.

Speaking with In Touch, a source claimed Tom is clapping back at accusations that he was unfaithful to Victoria, as friends have vowed to support him amid the smear campaign.

“He’s so sick and tired of being painted as this villain,” said the insider. “He took accountability when everything happened and admitted his part in things, but it’s been almost two years now and he feels like he’s been punished enough. He wants to move on, but no matter what he does, he’s still associated with this scandal.”

“When Victoria jumped to the conclusion that he was cheating again, he hit the roof because he wasn’t doing anything wrong. She was quick to apologize and make a public statement admitting she made a mistake and jumped to the wrong conclusion, but now Tom’s really spiraling,” the source added. “He says he feels like he’ll never be known as anything but a cheater now, no matter what he does.”

According to the insider, his friends are “all trying to be supportive.”

“They’re telling him that he just needs to give it more time, that eventually people will forget, but Tom’s feeling very beat up over this,” said the source. “He worries that he’ll never be allowed to move on.”

Around the same time, In Touch obtained court docs showing that Tom hired a new attorney – Colin Hardacre, whose firm is in Calabasas – after reports claimed he was choosing to represent himself.

He notified the court about it on January 7.