The proof is in the deleted scenes? Tom Schwartz surprised Katie Maloney — and Vanderpump Rules viewers — with another mention of his stylist friend Jo Wenberg.
“I went to Tom’s today to bring the dogs there and in the bathroom, there’s a toothbrush with lipstick on it and a pile of jewelry. Like, that the f—k is this s—t? He’s like, ‘It’s Jo’s,'” the “You’re Gonna Love Me” podcast host, 36, revealed to Lala Kent and Raquel Leviss during a Never Before Seen edition of Vanderpump Rules, which aired on Wednesday, March 1. “First of all, Kristen [Doute’s]’s her best f—king friend. Why isn’t she staying at Kristen’s down the street?”
In a flashback scene, Katie asked Tom, 40, about the potential new woman in his life.
“I think someone might have left their jewelry in your kitchen,” she told the TomTom cofounder, who replied, “It’s Jo. She’s staying with me until the 1st. You look all suspicious and s—t. Jo’s my friend. It’s kinda nice having a roommate, actually.”
Katie, for her part, noted that she was confused by Tom omitting the information, adding, “That’s just a weird thing to not mention.”
The unseen footage, which was originally filmed for the February 22 episode of the Bravo series, comes after the Minnesota native denied a potential romance with Jo.
“Jo is a badass hairstylist. … I think she’s a beautiful soul,” Tom exclusively told Us Weekly during an interview last month. “We’re not living together and we’re not dating either, but she’s just someone who I appreciate on a deep level and she’s a really cool human being, and we’re just hanging out.”
At the time, the businessman admitted he wasn’t ready for a serious relationship after his divorce. “I just got out of a 12-year relationship. I cannot be in a committed — I can’t dive back into another relationship,” he shared with Us. “It wouldn’t be fair to the other person ‘cause I’m kind of consumed with, like, business and my family and I’m kind of falling in love with myself all over again.”
During season 10 of Vanderpump Rules, viewers have watched Tom and Katie work through the aftermath of their breakup. The former couple originally broke the news that they were parting ways before cameras started rolling.
“Well this sucks,” Tom wrote via Instagram in March 2022. “I’m not the victim. Not gonna write too sad a song. Fully respect Katie’s decision and we’ve had healthy, productive conversations about it. It would be far sadder if she decided to stay with me whilst not happy.”
He continued: “How am I supposed to capture 12 years of love in a f—king canned Instagram caption. I’m not quite ready to use the ‘D’ word [because] it’s too painful. We had some of the most blissful, romantic, fun times humanly possible over the course of our relationship. I’m talking heaven on earth level joy. She taught me so much about love & being a better partner.”
Amid their divorce, which was finalized in October 2022, Tom raised eyebrows after Us confirmed that he hooked up with Raquel, 28, at Scheana Shay and Brock Davies‘ wedding. Before their steamy moment aired on Bravo, Tom and Raquel addressed their connection on screen.
“I think I have a crush on Schwartz. I like that he is always happy to see me. He always has a big smile on his face, which makes me happy,” the SUR waitress gushed in the Wednesday episode of Vanderpump Rules. “I never viewed him this way before ever when he was with Katie but then Scheana put the idea in my head. It just kind of like stuck in the back of my mind and grew on me a little bit.”
Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.
