Staying loyal. Katie Maloney completely understands why her Vanderpump Rules costar Lala Kent cut ties with Tom Schwartz after learning that he was hanging out with her former fiancé, Randall Emmett.
“I can’t necessarily blame her ’cause she just really doesn’t want any ties to [Randall] and she did make it very clear to everyone that that was the case,” the “You’re Gonna Love Me” podcast host, 35, exclusively told Us Weekly at the DIRECTV Space at the Neon Carnival on Saturday, April 16. “And so for anyone to choose to maintain and keep a relationship or friendship going [with her], we kind of knew that those were the breaks.”
Us confirmed in November 2021 that Kent and Emmett, 51, called it quits after getting engaged in September 2018. The former couple welcomed daughter Ocean, now 13 months, in March 2021. The reality star has since alleged that Emmett cheated on her the same month that she gave birth, but he has yet to publicly comment on the claims. As she continues to work through her split, Kent revealed that she’s been avoiding Schwartz, 39, due to his bond with the filmmaker.
“The least supportive [costar is] [Tom] Sandoval, [he] has yet to even ask me, like, if I’m OK or acknowledged it at all. And I learned that [Tom] Schwartz hung out with that person the other day, so I cut him out,” the Row actress said during an interview on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on April 11. “[I’m usually] not the type of person to say, like, ‘You have to pick a side,’ but in this situation, if you don’t pick my side or you remain Switzerland, like, I want nothing to do with you.”
Maloney, for her part, can see why Kent felt betrayed. “If that’s how she wants to do it, then I can’t fault her for that,” she explained to Us. “I mean, given everything I know about what’s gone on and how she feels, I might feel the same way to be honest, you know.”
The Utah native is currently going through a split of her own, announcing her separation from Schwartz. “After 12 years on an adventure through life together Tom and I are ending our marriage,” Maloney wrote in a statement shared via Instagram at the time. “This ending is not met with resentment or animosity, no sides to choose. We have deep admiration for one another that will always remain and we cherish our friendship. Although we may be on different paths we will continue to love and support one another’s happiness.”
She officially filed for divorce on March 22. In the wake of their split, Maloney says she and the TomTom cofounder have remained friendly, telling Us that it’s “the best case scenario, honestly,” to remain on good terms with her ex.
“It’s been really loving and peaceful and we still have a really amazing friendship. We still — like, we’ll hang out and go have lunch and it’s not really negative in any way,” she continued. “I mean, it’s sad and it’s an end of an era for us both, but we want to just transition and untangle in the most peaceful, amicable way possible.”
The estranged couple have both received plenty of kindness from their fellow Vanderpump Rules cast members as they navigate their new relationship. “Everyone really has been very supportive,” Maloney revealed. “We’ve all been like a family for so many years, so everyone’s been there for both of us, of course. … Everyone’s reached out and checked in and been extremely supportive.”
Reporting by Diana Cooper
