Offering some tips. Jax Taylor weighed in on Tom Schwartz‘s recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen — and advised him to stop “protecting” his pal Tom Sandoval.
“I love Tom, but gosh, that was hard for me to watch,” the Vanderpump Rules alum, 43, said during the Tuesday, April 11, episode of his and wife Brittany Cartwright‘s “When Reality Hits” podcast. “I knew he was going to get hit hard with the questions, and he did.”
The former SUR bartender credited Andy Cohen with correctly using the term “word salad” to describe many of Schwartz’s responses.
“He was throwing out all these big words,” Taylor said of the Schwartz & Sandy’s cofounder, 40. “I think he was dodging it. I’m like, ‘Tom, why are you protecting this guy? He is literally ruining your life. He’s putting you between a rock and a hard place.'”
The Michigan native was seemingly referring to Schwartz’s plea for Pump Rules viewers to give Sandoval, also 40, a hug if they see him in public. “He knows he’s a monster for what he did,” Schwartz said during his April 5 appearance on the talk show. “If you see him, maybe give him a hug. Even if he doesn’t deserve it, give him a hug. He’s down bad.”
Taylor, however, wasn’t having it. “The world has already made its opinion on Tom,” the former Bravo personality star said on Tuesday. “There’s nothing you’re gonna say on this show that’s gonna change anybody’s mind. They’ve had their minds made up. Stop protecting him. You need to get a little bit of a backbone.”
On a lighter note, Taylor said he thought Schwartz’s use of wrist weights to prevent himself from touching his face was “hilarious.” The TomTom co-owner explained that he was wearing them because he’d seen social media users making fun of him for the habit.
According to Taylor, Schwartz came over to his house the night before he flew to New York City for his WWHL taping. Taylor warned him not to talk with his hands so much, and Schwartz told him that he’d already purchased the weights on Amazon in an attempt to stop himself.
Schwartz eventually took off the wrist weights, but he still spilled plenty of tea about Sandoval’s affair with Raquel Leviss, claiming that he found out about their “one-night stand” in August 2022. The Minnesota native also alleged that Sandoval told him about the full-blown affair in January and said he had a plan to break up with Ariana Madix after the season 10 reunion filmed.
Earlier this week, however, Sandoval said that only some of his business partner’s claims were accurate. During his bombshell Tuesday interview with Howie Mandel, the musician said that Schwartz was telling the truth about learning in August 2022 that Sandoval and Leviss, 28, had hooked up earlier that month.
The Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras frontman went on to deny Schwartz’s description of the breakup plan, claiming that he actually broke up with Madix, 37, in February before telling her about the affair with Leviss. (Us confirmed on March 3 that the Fancy AF Cocktails coauthors had called it quits after Madix found out about Sandoval’s infidelity.)
“Obviously, she was very upset. She freaking punched me and all this s–t,” Sandoval alleged. “A couple days later, I sit down and talk with her again, and she’s like, ‘I’m not letting you leave me. You’re gonna have to force me out of this relationship.’ I was like, ‘Ariana, I don’t think I could be faithful in a relationship with you right now.’ I hadn’t told her about Raquel yet. She’s like, ‘If you break up with me, you will effectively be ending my life.'”
As for where he stands with Leviss, Sandoval said that the duo are taking it slow amid all the drama. “We’re really good friends,” he explained. “We’re not putting any label on it. We’re taking a break.” When Mandel, 67, asked if they’re friends with benefits, Sandoval replied, “Not right now.”
