Ubiquitous
2023-06-16 15:02:25 UTC
Tom Schwartz has doubled down on his intent to distance himself from friend
and business partner Tom Sandoval amid the fallout of the "Vanderpump Rules"
cheating scandal.
Schwartz gave the relationship update this week in an episode of the new Fox
reality competition show "Stars on Mars," on which he is a contestant
alongside Tallulah Willis, Marshawn Lynch, Natasha Leggerro and Lance
Armstrong. He had previously shared on the podcast "When Reality Hits With
Jax and Brittany" that he was "taking a break from Tom right now," adding
that he hadn't seen Sandoval "in a while."
Schwartz and Sandoval are co-owners of the restaurant and bar Schwartz and
Sandy's in the Franklin Village neighborhood of Los Angeles. They are also
junior partners at the TomTom restaurant in West Hollywood. It was unclear
how the pair intends to continue running their businesses.
Representatives for Schwartz and Sandoval did not immediately respond to The
Times' requests for comment.
"This thing with my friend back home, it's incredibly messed up," Schwartz
said on Monday's "Mars" episode, referring to Sandoval and co-star Raquel
Leviss' affair, which led to the end of his friend's nine-year relationship
with fellow "Vanderpump Rules" personality Ariana Maddix.
"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 there's just no excuse for it."
Schwartz went on to call Sandoval's perspective "obsolete because of the way
he handled it." In March, Maddix found out that Sandoval had been cheating on
her after she saw him kissing Leviss. Maddix later found a racy video of the
couple on Sandoval's phone. She then found their history of inappropriate
texts. The so-called #Scandoval rocked the hit reality Bravo series, which
had been running its 10th season, prompting conflict among several of its
main characters, including a restraining order, severed ties and teary
apologies and arguments on the show's finale.
"Ultimately, that's his life, Schwartz added. I did not have an affair. I
am not him. It's just so strange that I've been absolutely mired in this.
It's taken on almost a life of its own.
"After this, I'm stepping away from it permanently," he said later.
Another "Vanderpump" venture, Pump, announced that it would be closing in
July. Owner Lisa Vanderpump cited rising rents in West Hollywood.
Further complicating the Tom and Tom friendship, Schwartz was also linked
with Leviss after his split with another "Vanderpump" co-star, Katie Maloney.
Before the off-screen cheating revelation occurred as the show's 10th season
ran, producers had focused on Schwartz and Leviss' new fling, including
scenes of the pair making out, despite Maloney expressing how hurtful it
would be to see her ex engage with someone in their friend group.
During Monday's "Mars" episode, Schwartz also acknowledged to fellow
contestant Leggerro that he had known Sandoval had been cheating on Maddix
for months. But he said that he "didn't cover for him," adding that he did
not know the affair was with Leviss.
"My friend had an affair that just happened to swipe the nation and its
incredibly messed up but the thing is I've become mired in it," he said to
Leggerro, according to People. "That's been a huge source of just angst in my
life. I've been in this extended funk."
--
Let's go Brandon!
and business partner Tom Sandoval amid the fallout of the "Vanderpump Rules"
cheating scandal.
Schwartz gave the relationship update this week in an episode of the new Fox
reality competition show "Stars on Mars," on which he is a contestant
alongside Tallulah Willis, Marshawn Lynch, Natasha Leggerro and Lance
Armstrong. He had previously shared on the podcast "When Reality Hits With
Jax and Brittany" that he was "taking a break from Tom right now," adding
that he hadn't seen Sandoval "in a while."
Schwartz and Sandoval are co-owners of the restaurant and bar Schwartz and
Sandy's in the Franklin Village neighborhood of Los Angeles. They are also
junior partners at the TomTom restaurant in West Hollywood. It was unclear
how the pair intends to continue running their businesses.
Representatives for Schwartz and Sandoval did not immediately respond to The
Times' requests for comment.
"This thing with my friend back home, it's incredibly messed up," Schwartz
said on Monday's "Mars" episode, referring to Sandoval and co-star Raquel
Leviss' affair, which led to the end of his friend's nine-year relationship
with fellow "Vanderpump Rules" personality Ariana Maddix.
"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 there's just no excuse for it."
Schwartz went on to call Sandoval's perspective "obsolete because of the way
he handled it." In March, Maddix found out that Sandoval had been cheating on
her after she saw him kissing Leviss. Maddix later found a racy video of the
couple on Sandoval's phone. She then found their history of inappropriate
texts. The so-called #Scandoval rocked the hit reality Bravo series, which
had been running its 10th season, prompting conflict among several of its
main characters, including a restraining order, severed ties and teary
apologies and arguments on the show's finale.
"Ultimately, that's his life, Schwartz added. I did not have an affair. I
am not him. It's just so strange that I've been absolutely mired in this.
It's taken on almost a life of its own.
"After this, I'm stepping away from it permanently," he said later.
Another "Vanderpump" venture, Pump, announced that it would be closing in
July. Owner Lisa Vanderpump cited rising rents in West Hollywood.
Further complicating the Tom and Tom friendship, Schwartz was also linked
with Leviss after his split with another "Vanderpump" co-star, Katie Maloney.
Before the off-screen cheating revelation occurred as the show's 10th season
ran, producers had focused on Schwartz and Leviss' new fling, including
scenes of the pair making out, despite Maloney expressing how hurtful it
would be to see her ex engage with someone in their friend group.
During Monday's "Mars" episode, Schwartz also acknowledged to fellow
contestant Leggerro that he had known Sandoval had been cheating on Maddix
for months. But he said that he "didn't cover for him," adding that he did
not know the affair was with Leviss.
"My friend had an affair that just happened to swipe the nation and its
incredibly messed up but the thing is I've become mired in it," he said to
Leggerro, according to People. "That's been a huge source of just angst in my
life. I've been in this extended funk."
--
Let's go Brandon!