Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo
Tom Schwartz appeared on Jax Taylor And Brittany Cartwright‘s podcast last week, where he finally had some stern words for his longtime friend and business partner Tom Sandoval of his sordid affair with Raquel Leviss.
While also addressing his time on Stars on Marsoffering updates on girlfriend rumor Jo Wenberg and ex-wife Katie Maloneyand explaining why he encouraged Sandoval to “marry” Raquel, the Vanderpump Rules The castmate explained how Schwartz & Sandy’s are coping and asked Sandoval to “drop the ego.”
“I got on really well with everyone, Ronda Rousey, Tanashe, Ariel Winter… It was so much fun, and I’m grateful I got to do it,” Schwartz said of his appearance on Stars on Mars on the June 7 episode of When Reality Strikes with Jax and Brittany. “I went there to reset my mind, and I accomplished that. It was awesome. It was so much fun.”
As Pump Rules As fans may know, Schwartz has had a tough 2022 as he dealt with a brother’s cancer diagnosis, another’s stay in rehab, and other family issues — in addition to his divorce from Katie.
“I still love her, respectfully, not like I love her… We’re cordial, but she’s so busy opening her sandwich shop, which looks awesome, so props to props for [Ariana Madix] and Katie. But it’s not like we’re best friends,” Schwartz said of his former wife. “We’re not going to go out and have dinner… That’s one thing that made me really sad. We had been together for 12 years. Getting a divorce, even if it was amicable, is fucking stressful.
And when it comes to dating, Schwartz dismissed the idea that he was in a secret relationship with Jo.
“I’m not dating anyone. I don’t have a secret girlfriend living with me. I’m single and not ready to mingle,” he said. [Jo]is hilarious, beautiful, talented, Jo is crap. I just don’t want a girlfriend. I just got out of a 12 year relationship.
Schwartz is also focusing on his bar, which has received tons of backlash since Sandoval and Raquel’s affair was uncovered in March. And, as he continues to hang out at the venue, he’s learned of the major issue his guests have with Sandoval.
“One thing I’ve gleaned from a lot of customers and people who love the show is, first of all, yeah, they’re disgusted and disgusted by the whole thing. It’s vile. It’s indefensible, but one thing they always say is they’re like, ‘From our perspective, it doesn’t look like he has any remorse… and neither does Raquel. And that makes it even worse,’ he shared.
Luckily, that didn’t stop fans from flocking to the bar.
“This weekend was absolutely slamming,” he revealed. “I have to shout out to my partners, Brett and Greg, they faced a lot of fucking bullying because of this. People call and everything. If they think Tom Sandoval will ever hear those voicemails they leave, he won’t. Our employees have to deal with this.
As for TomTom, Schwartz said he was doing “very well” before confirming that he and Sandoval had sold a percentage of his stake in the restaurant to invest in Schwartz & Sandy’s.
“We took a small percentage just to help us get to the finish line, but we’re still involved,” he confirmed of the two of them.
As fans continue to wonder if Sandoval and Raquel are still together, Schwartz confessed he wasn’t sure as he also said he encouraged Sandoval to marry their co-star during the reunion.
“That was the last thing I said to her before I left the meeting,” he revealed. “I was like, ‘Dude, after all this shit you put me through and everyone else around you, you better marry that fucking girl.’ And I’m happy to report that I have no idea.
With Raquel continuing her mental health treatment at an undisclosed facility, Sandoval toured the country with her band, Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras, which Schwartz said he was “happy with.”
” I’m happy for him. I know he’s very passionate about the band,” he noted.
But that said, Schwartz admitted that Sandoval often seems “to give a fuck” as he lives “his rock star dreams” after blowing up the life of his former girlfriend, Ariana.
“He has to drop the ego,” Schwartz said.
Additionally, on the Jax and Brittany podcast, Schwartz said that while he wasn’t trying to evoke sympathy, he felt fans should know what he’s going through in 2022 so they understand that he was not fully present to process the right steps to take after learning about Sandoval and Raquel’s relationship.
“Maybe I was self-involved out of necessity. Opening a bar is intense, and when you pair that with what Tom Sandoval, the story he told me, he sold me shitty merchandise “Schwartz said. “Ariana’s story is completely different. He was telling me that he had been trying to break up with her for several months… His side of the story is that she treats him like crap, she belittles him, they have no intimacy, and they are more or less roommates.
Schwartz went on to slam Sandoval for blaming Ariana for her “despicable” actions.
“It’s really crazy when people try to pass the blame in a situation like this. To imply, ‘You should have known. All the signs were there, ‘This is despicable,’ he admitted .
Vanderpump Rules Season 11 is set to begin filming later this month.