Katie Maloney has been dating discreetly since splitting with ex-husband Tom Schwartz in March. She admitted to being on the prowl with Lala Kent when the two Vanderpump Rules stars found themselves single at the same time earlier this year after the latter broke up with producer Randall Emmett.
But the 35-year-old reality TV star is now exclusive with Satchel Clendenin. Katie’s new beau is also an L.A. resident who is pursuing a career in acting Us Weekly confirmed. Since their hookup, Satchel has “met some of” Katie’s costars and “hung out with some of her friends.”
In a nod to their 10-year age difference, Katie joked about her “cougar era” during an interview in July. She told Us Weekly, “You know, [I’m] not [dating] seriously but just like [to] have fun and get out there and, like, flirt and maybe kiss some boys. You know what I mean? Like … I can’t get in a relationship right now.”
At the time, Katie added that her priority was to “just have fun.” “I don’t know, a lot of [the guys] are really young and that’s kind of fun too,” she concluded, “I’m kind of, like, in a cougar era. … I can date the young one, [someone] my age and the young one’s dad. So I kind of love that for me.”
Katie is keeping in line with her commitment to “really start prioritizing” her own needs, an admission of what went wrong with her marriage to Tom. “It got to a point where I just felt like I was going to burst,” she reflected earlier this year on her “You’re Gonna Love Me” podcast. “For months, it was building up. I felt just disconnected. I felt like I was drifting further and further away. The best and only way I can describe it is just waking up and having this voice that just became louder and louder.”
It’s a fresh start with Satchel for the original Vanderpump Rules star. Katie and Tom were an item on the show for years. They exchanged unofficial vows in 2016, officated by Lisa Vanderpump, then did a legally binding do-over in 2019.
For his part, Tom accepted Katie’s decision to file for divorce, but not without heaviness in his heart. “Well this sucks. How am I supposed to capture 12 years of love in a f—kin canned Instagram caption,” he wrote on social media in March. “I’m not the victim. Not gonna write too sad a song. Fully respect Katie’s decision and we’ve had healthy, productive conversations about it. It would be far sadder if she decided to stay with me whilst not happy.”
But now, the Schwartz & Sandy’s co-owner has been dipping into the Bravolebrity pool. He’s been flirting up a storm with Southern Charm beauty Taylor Ann Green. He also reportedly hooked up with Raquel Leviss at co-star Scheana Shay and Brock Davies wedding in August.
Since then, Tom revealed that he doesn’t see a future with Raquel, but he still gushed about James Kennedy’s ex during an appearance on Scheana’s “Scheananigans” podcast.
“I was so caught up in my own little world and I was married — I never took time to get to know Raquel,” Tom opined during the episode. “She was always cool. I just never really took [the] time to invest in her. That’s a horrible way to phrase it. I never really gave her a chance. … She has so much depth and character. I think I wrote her off.”
The future is looking up for Tom and Kate, who are finalizing the proceedings from the $2 million sale of their California home.
TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK OF KATIE’S NEW ROMANCE? DID YOU HAVE A “COUGAR” PHASE?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank]
