Tom Schwartz bypassed a lot of drama on Vanderpump Rules. He was on the receiving end of some backlash for hooking up with Raquel Leviss at Scheana Shay’s wedding. His ex-wife Katie Maloney rounded up the VPR ladies to diss his shady behavior.
Luckily for Tom, his business partner Tom Sandoval was full-on cheating with Raquel. The betrayal of Ariana Madix wiped out any resentment Schwartz got from cast and fans for breaking Katie’s post-divorce dating rule.
Simply put, it’s totally irrelevant now. And there is sympathy for Schwartz as a potential pawn. Sandoval and Raquel reportedly needed a distraction to fly under the radar. Though some are calling him out for not publicly condemning his friend.
But the ever-amiable Schwartz speaks sympathetically of Sandoval, even now. TMZ caught up with him on March 11, 2023, at the airport and asked how his bestie was coping. Us Weekly shared the details.
“[Sandoval’s] OK, I think. Relatively speaking. I mean, he has a sense of profound sadness, rightfully so,” Schwartz said. “I think he feels like a piece of s–t, and to some extent, maybe he is. But he knows he f–ked up. The whole thing is just really sad.”
Schwartz denied Raquel and Sandoval’s affair was fabricated by production. The pain is absolutely real, and he is concerned for Ariana.
“Luckily, Ariana has a really good support system, and she’s with her friends,” Schwartz said. “I’m not sure where she is. I hope she’s living a good life, just indulging. I hope she goes on a living spree. I’m just hoping this whole thing blows over, you know?”
When asked whether he knew that Raquel and his business partner were hooking up, Schwartz responded, “You’ll see it play out on the show.”
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Then he denied that his kiss with Raquel had an ulterior motive. “No, that’s not true. Unless I was a pawn in the game,” Schwartz answered when asked if he was covering for Sandoval.
Finally, Schwartz gave an update on the situation. Seriously, who asked? He said, “It’s f–king complicated. That’s the understatement of the year. I think Tom’s OK. Really, I’m just sad about the negative impact it’s having on our business, but I think cooler heads will prevail, and I’m just gonna keep on keeping on,” he added.
Indeed, their restaurant, Schwartz & Sandy’s, is getting negative reviews and calls to boycott by Pump Rules fans. And the general consensus is disgust at the way Sandoval treated Ariana.
Representatives for the restaurant were forced to respond. “In light of the recent news we appreciate the many words of support but we also understand the outpouring of outrage that has been directed towards our businesses,” the restaurant’s Instagram post read. “However, those of us who are not famous have dedicated our time hearts, and money to make this restaurant a reality.”
An insider of the former couple revealed that they “were having problems for a while.” But the relationship ended when Ariana discovered sexually explicit material of Raquel on Sandoval’s phone.
First off, Tom released a statement defending his business. Only after co-stars called him out did he address the woman he cheated on.
“I want to first and foremost apologize to everyone I’ve hurt through this process. Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana,” he posted on Instagram. “I made mistakes, I was selfish and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly,” he added.
For her part, Raquel coordinated an apology to hit shortly after. On March 8, 2023, she said in a statement, “I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships. There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana.”
It’s not clear which friends Raquel is referring to. If she has her Vanderpump Rules co-stars in mind, that ship has sailed. She blamed her appalling behavior on “an addiction to love.”
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“I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy without regard for my own well-being, sometimes negatively affecting others and often prioritizing the intimate connection over my friendships,” Raquel added, “I am taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices.”
Moreover, the future looks bleak for the illicit couple. Raquel skipped town and supposedly ghosted Sandoval. She explained her next moves in a second post to Instagram.
“Besides the indefensible circumstances surrounding our relationship, my feelings for Tom have always been sincere and born out of a loving friendship. Knowing how many people we hurt, I need to understand my choices and learn to make better ones,” Raquel wrote via Instagram. “I need to take care of my health, work on self growth and take time to be OK with being alone.”
“I care for Tom and I don’t want to label anything or predict what lies ahead. Right now I need to heal,” she concluded.
Furthermore, Sandoval is sitting silent. He may be nursing a bruised ego if he was expecting to just shack up with Raquel after devastating his long-time love of nine years.
TELL US- DID SCHWARTZ KNOW ABOUT THE AFFAIR? ARE YOU SURPRISED AT SCHWARTZ’S REACTION? WILL SANDOVAL AND RAQUEL STAY TOGETHER? OR IS IT ALREADY OVER?
[Photo Credit: Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo]
