Tom Schwartz’s “friend with benefits,” Jo Wenberg, believes that Vanderpump Rules production was not happy with his behavior during Season 11.
On April 11, Jo credited Pump Rules producers for pushing her to discuss her relationship with Schwartz on camera. “The producers … were the ones that really helped me open up,” she said. “[They said], ‘You really need to speak about this.’ I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for that. I would have kept my mouth shut.”
Producers told her that they were “seeing a different side” to Tom’s treatment of the professional hairstylist. They felt he was portraying their relationship as being “just friends,” when Jo knew it was much more than that.
“Blindsided,” but grateful
“They really, really were pushing to be kind to me,” Jo told Rachel Leviss on her Rachel Goes Rogue podcast. “They saw it before I did, and they didn’t have to showcase that, But they decided to be like, ‘We’re sick of this.’ I think … they were sick [Tom’s] behavior. And they were like, ‘Let’s actually show someone who’s really blindsided.’”
The 35-year-old added that she was “grateful” to the producers for forcing Tom to reveal the true nature of their relationship. Rather than “just friends,” Jo told Rachel that they had been “dating” and “were in love.” She was rightfully upset at him for denying their relationship in front of his friends and the VPR cameras.
“We would tell each other we loved each other,” she said. “We would [just] be … in our own bubble, and we liked it that way. [But then], the cameras would come up, and it was like I didn’t even exist.”
Jo tells her story
Jo added that she had the chance to explain her side of the story at the VPR Season 11 reunion, which has completed filming. Schwartz had successfully kept his castmates in the dark about the true nature of his relationship with Jo. Many of them were stunned to hear how close they’d been behind closed doors.
“They were baffled,” Jo added. “It was really neat to see kind of like a gasp of like, ‘Oh, [Schwartz] not only lied to Jo, but you lied to us. And you also lied to [Executive Producer] Andy [Cohen]. You lied to everybody, and it’s very clear throughout the season that you guys were together. But we all thought that Jo was the liar when in reality, Jo was the one … being honest.’”
These days, Jo is no longer speaking to Schwartz, which is probably for the best. She did appreciate the apology she got from Katie Maloney at the reunion. Tom has since moved on and reportedly has a new girlfriend.
Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
TELL US – WERE YOU SURPRISED TO FINALLY HEAR THE TRUE NATURE OF TOM AND JO’S RELATIONSHIP? WHY DO YOU THINK TOM WAS TRYING TO HIDE IT?
