A bromance for the ages. Endless friendships have come and gone throughout Vanderpump Rules — but Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval’s bond has remained unbreakable.
Schwartz and Sandoval’s connection was formed even before Pump Rules premiered in 2013, with the twosome sharing an apartment with former costar Jax Taylor. By season 3 of the Bravo hit, Schwartz had been bumped up to a series regular — and his friendship with Sandoval truly began to bloom.
“The reality is that we’re very, very, close,” Sandoval said during a March 2022 interview with the “So Bad It’s Good With Ryan Bailey” podcast. “We text numerous times throughout pretty much every single day. We’re very, very, very close.”
The duo’s personal relationship eventually translated into a professional one and the pair decided to open their bar TomTom in West Hollywood alongside Lisa Vanderpump during the season 5 finale. After the bar became a raging success, the twosome made plans to open a second establishment, Schwartz & Sandy’s, in North Hollywood’s Franklin Village.
The BFFs faced multiple obstacles along the way, including having to shut down construction due to the COVID-19 pandemic and endless money problems. Despite the hiccups, their relationship — and the restaurant — continued to prevail, often to the detriment of Schwartz’s marriage to Katie Maloney.
When the “You’re Gonna Love Me” podcast host filed for divorce in March 2022, Sandoval was by Schwartz’s side. During a February 2023 episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the Fancy AF Cocktails coauthor got candid about whether he felt the duo’s close bond affected the former model’s relationship with Maloney.
“Maybe,” he told host Andy Cohen at the time. “I did feel a little bit that way, in the moment. I mean, it hit me pretty hard. I was very surprised by it and very saddened by it.”
Schwartz, however, said his bestie had nothing to do with the split. “Ultimately, it was my fault,” he confessed.
When news broke in March 2023 that Sandoval had a months-long affair with costar Raquel Leviss — despite being in a long-term relationship with Ariana Madix — rumors swirled that Schwartz, who made out with Leviss during Scheana Shay and Brock Davies’ wedding months prior, knew about the scandal and was being used as a coverup.
Schwartz, however, denied allegations that he kissed the former beauty queen just to divert from his pal’s affair. He later opened up about the negative effect Sandoval’s actions had on their business. (Schwartz & Sandy’s, which opened in November 2022, was flooded with bad reviews slamming Sandoval for his actions.)
“It’s f–king complicated. That’s the understatement of the year. I think Tom’s OK,” he told TMZ of the situation in March 2023. “Really, I’m just sad about the negative impact it’s having on our business, but I think cooler heads will prevail, and I’m just gonna keep on keeping on.”
While Schwartz insisted that he didn’t agree with his best friend’s actions, he noted that the Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras singer “knows he f—ked up” by cheating on Madix with Leviss.
“I mean, he has a sense of profound sadness, rightfully so. I think he feels like a piece of s–t, and to some extent, maybe he is,” Schwartz told the outlet at the time.
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Keep scrolling for Schwartz and Sandoval’s bromance over the years:
