It wasn’t worth the hype. That seems to be the general consensus among the Vanderpump Rules cast of the kiss between Tom Schwartz and Raquel Leviss. Even Schwartz seemed underwhelmed in the end.
Was it a production ploy? Or did Scheana Shay really mastermind the whole thing? Well, Katie gave the new bride heat for pushing the two parties toward each other. Ultimately, Raquel and Schwartz were two consenting adults. VPR fans got to see the duo lock lips on the latest episode.
Katie made up her own mind after watching the interaction. She shared those thoughts on the Everything Iconic With Danny Pellegrino podcast. The Something About Her founder set the tone by groaning loudly, Us Weekly reported.
“I was nervous about the kiss, for obvious reasons,” Katie said. “You’ll find out in next week’s episode how I react to it. But … this was something I was very much not wanting to happen because I was wanting to have a friendship with Tom. And I knew that [the kiss] would kind of jeopardize that.”
Katie noted the lack of chemistry between Raquel and her ex-husband. She explained, “I was like, ‘This is giving creepy uncle. There’s nothing passionate, romantic – it just feels like, ‘Alright, well … should we kiss?'”
While cozying up to Raquel in the episode, the Schwartz & Sandy’s co-owner noted a certain level of peer pressure. And that Katie’s request to ignore Raquel left him feeling like she was a “forbidden fruit.”
At the time of their split in March 2022, Katie requested that Tom not date anyone in their social circle. So the Minnesota native’s pursuit of Raquel was hurtful, if not inexplicable. The “forced interaction” seemed to be a product of “so much peer pressure around them [from the cast].”
The kiss took place at Scheana and Brock Davies’ wedding in August 2022. Us Weekly confirmed the hook-up at the time.
Tom and Katie’s divorce was finalized in October 2022. Much of their strife post-separation was captured by Bravo cameras for Season 10. Including Schwartz’s kiss with Raquel. But perhaps the kiss was more about rebellion. Shortly before, the exes attempted to have a cordial dinner together. Katie confronted Tom about his continued lack of support for her. She ended up leaving the restaurant in a huff.
“This was a 12-year relationship and a six-year marriage,” Katie said of her emotions. “You don’t just snap your fingers and get over it overnight. … It was difficult and still a tender time.”
Tom shared his perspective on a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live. The restaurant owner explained, “Here’s the thing, early on in our relationship, she abused [the request to defend her] a little bit. She was always getting in tiffs and she’s like, ‘You’re with me or against me.’ She demanded unconditional loyalty early on. … She’s way better now. Katie, I love you, but in the beginning, she was kind of a monster.”
Now that they are not a couple, Tom wondered why he still has to put up with Katie’s demands. He concluded, “She has had a falling out with every single person in her life multiple times. And I just didn’t like getting dragged into all that and I guess I became a little numb when she actually did need me it’s like the boy who cried wolf.”
Schwartz had to backtrack a bit. He called Katie an “angel” after fellow WWHL guest John Owen Lowe called him out for calling his ex a “monster.“
Katie took to social media to respond to the comment. She tweeted, “I was called a monster too many times to count… tonight’s #wwhl didn’t phase me. Sadly.”
It seems these two will continue to be at odds over the same issues that plagued their marriage. However, all this drama was overshadowed when news broke that Tom Sandoval and Raquel were having a months-long affair behind Ariana Madix’s back.
TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE KISS? WAS IT THE RESULT OF PEER PRESSURE? SHOULD TOM HAVE CALLED KATIE A “MONSTER?” WILL KATIE AND TOM’S RELATIONSHIP IMPROVE?
[Photo Credit: Nicole Weingart/Bravo]
