Vanderpump Rules Seasons 1 through 10 saw Tom Schwartz acting as Tom Sandoval‘s biggest hype man. No matter what Sandoval did or said, he was backed by Schwartz. Even when Sandoval was being the literal worst towards Schwartz’s then-wife, Katie Maloney, Schwartz would side with his friend. Basically, her filing for divorce made perfect sense, and we love that Katie is now living her best life sans Sandoval’s puppet, Schwartz.
However, the ending of Season 10 saw everything unravel, as Sandoval’s affair, alongside Schwartz’s knowledge of his friend’s indiscretions, all came to light. Schwartz was shaken by the backlash received, and began to distance himself from his codependent relationship with Sandoval. SO where do the Toms currently stand? Here is everything that we know, which will help to answer whether or not the Toms have restored their friendship.
The Toms Pre-Scandoval, With a Fall Out Ending
Dumb and Dumber have been close since 2013, when the pair first became roommates. When looking for someone to rent a room in his apartment, Sandoval posted a Craiglist ad, and Schwartz came-a-knocking. This was just prior to Vanderpump Rules getting picked up by Bravo. Right from the start, Sandoval was introduced as a full-time cast member, while Schwartz was, at first, a friend-of, showing up only randomly to pour beers on women.
Around the time of filming for Season 10, Sandoval realized that he was in love lust with Rachel Leviss. He confessed this to Schwartz, while claiming that he would soon break up with Ariana Madix. However, Sandoval struggled refused to end things with Ariana, and instead painted a narrative on-air that Ariana was problematic, which the viewers quickly said “nah” to when it all aired. Through it all, Schwartz was left alone to shoulder his friend’s gross secret.
When the “Scandoval” news finally broke, viewers saw Sandoval and Rachel immediately being thrown away by their castmates. Then, everyone’s eyes began to turn towards Schwartz. Did he know, and if so, for how long, and also, why didn’t he speak up? Schwartz felt the heat and finally began to step away from his “worm with a mustache” puppet master.
The Boys Break-Up – Schwartz Speaks Out
At first, Schwartz stood by Sandoval as the fallout began. During the heated Season 10 reunion, which filmed in March and aired in May, this backing continued. This move angered several of his castmates. However, Schwartz changed his tune shortly after the reunion aired.
A few weeks after the reunion played back, Schwartz was a guest on When Reality Hits, which is a podcast hosted by his former co-stars Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright. Here, Schwartz stated that he was taking a “break” from Sandoval, and that it had been “a little while” since the two had even spoken. “He made a big mess and he left it for us to clean up. It’s hard for me not to be resentful of him…I’m taking a break from Tom right now,” Schwartz shared.
When Jax pointed out that Schwartz had been used by Sandoval, Schwartz actually agreed. Also, UGH, as Katie spent years trying to get this pawn-like point through to her now-ex, but we digress, kinda. “In this case in particular, I really do feel like he exploited me,” Schwartz confessed, adding that he was an “unfortunate confidant” in a “vile” scheme. He also stated that he was sold “a s**t bill of goods,” as Sandoval never broke up with Ariana as he had promised Schwartz that he would.
When appearing on Stars on Mars, Schwartz spoke out for a second time. Here, he stated that he was “stepping away permanently” from Sandoval. “It seems each time I try to weigh in or talk about, ramble on about it, drivel on, I inevitably sound like I’m somehow justifying it or making excuses for it, and I’m not,” Schwartz said. “There’s just no excuse for it.”
Where Do The Toms Stand Now?
The Toms co-own Schwartz and Sandy’s, a bar in the Franklin Village area of Los Angeles. Rumors are swirling that both the employees and the bar’s third owner, Greg Morris, want Sandoval gone. In fact, Greg allegedly refused to sign a filming contract for Vanderpump Rules Season 11, which means that, if true, a large portion of Sandoval’s storyline has just been cut.
Without his bar and his best friend, this leaves Sandoval with zero filming opportunities…or does it? Spoiler alert, it doesn’t. In fact, Sandoval and Schwartz were spotted filming together at their West Hollywood restaurant, TomTom, though their conversation was heated. For once, it appears that Schwartz held his own, as Sandoval was the one who left the conversation, angered by whatever Schwartz had verbally thrown his way.
It seems like whatever went down, a door was then opened, and the boys seem to now be reconciling. To explain, after this heated exchange, the entire VPR cast filmed a trip to Lake Tahoe. In Lala Kent‘s since-expired stories, she joked that “everyone is coupled up.” She added that “The Toms” were one of these pairings, and sure enough, the Toms looked happy and well in the background, together again, as one toxic healed unit.
At this point, I think it’s safe to say that the boys will be alright.
TELL US – DO YOU HOPE TO SEE THE TOMS RECONCILE IN SEASON 11?
