Tom Schwartz‘s pal Jo Wenberg isn’t letting Vanderpump Rules fans’ strong opinions get to her following her first official appearance on the show.
“Oh man. I can’t. Lots of hate. However, lots of hate. So we will continue this journey. I really just hope that everybody …” Wenberg said via her Instagram Story on Wednesday, February 21, before getting distracted and speaking to someone in the lobby of her building.
Wenberg went on to note that she was still navigating her new normal as she steps into the Bravo spotlight.
“We will continue this journey and it is going to be OK. Everything is going to be fine. Thank you so much for the kind words from most of you guys,” she continued. “Vanderpump Rules is a new step for me so you’re damned if you did and damned if you don’t kid. Sorry, I’m really just so tired.”
Bravo viewers were introduced to Wenberg during the Tuesday, February 20, episode of Vanderpump Rules. Wenberg’s first scene showed her cutting Schwartz’s hair as he jokingly asked whether she preferred “cash or a trip to Olive Garden” as payment.
In a confessional, Schwartz, 41, clarified Wenberg’s presence in his life, adding, “Jo is a human being — Jo is a light in my life. I want to clear things up. Jo was never living with me. Was she staying with me sporadically? Yes. She’s not my girlfriend, she never was. We had a whirlwind romance but we are just buds now.”
Schwartz was later asked to explain his complicated relationship status with Wenberg on Tuesday’s episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. Addressing why he denied dating Wenberg before calling their relationship a “whirlwind romance,” Schwartz admitted there were “mixed signals” along the way.
“We had a lightning in a bottle situation for a while there,” he explained. “I don’t know if it was sustainable given my mental state of being. I don’t know if I was equipped to be in a conventional relationship.”
Schwartz quipped he “should have been committed” instead of seeking out a girlfriend, adding, “I was in a very weird place, like I have never experienced in my entire life. I’ll shut up now.”
Before Wenberg’s highly anticipated appearance on VPR, Schwartz and his ex-wife, Katie Maloney, discussed her at length throughout season 10. In addition to being Kristen Doute’s former friend, Wenberg was linked to Schwartz after his divorce from Maloney, 37.
Despite Schwartz’s high opinion of Wenberg, Maloney didn’t share the same praise.
“Jo is spooky. I mean none of us could stand to be around her. Her energy is on par with a crackhead,” Maloney wrote in an Instagram comment in February 2023. “But when Tom and I announced our divorce almost a year ago the last thing she text[ed] me was, ‘I love you, and I’m so supporting of your inner thoughts and visions / live in the moment, you’re a gem and I’ve always respected you. I love you. Xo Jo.’ She is a psycho and I will also light her on fire.”
After filming scenes for season 11 of Vanderpump Rules, Wenberg offered an update on where she stands with her costars.
“I did film this season of Vanderpump Rules, and it was a very big, eye-opening experience. I am usually behind the camera, and being in front of the camera was very hard for me,” she admitted via her Instagram Story in November 2023. “But I will say the producers were really awesome.”
Wenberg had nothing but kind words for certain cast members, adding, “I also will say that Lala [Kent] was so nice to me. She gave me grace. I didn’t even really know her and I thought that was such a sweet thing. We don’t even follow each other on Instagram and we don’t have each other’s phone numbers. But I wanted to give a shout-out about her because she was so sweet.”
She went on to address Maloney’s digs. “That doesn’t make any sense [what I just tried to say]. This is probably why people think I am a crackhead. I just really suck at talking. I’m not a crackhead, can we just make it clear? I’ve never done it in my life,” she added. “I’m really afraid of actually pulling the plug and going public [online]. The reason I am doing this is because I don’t think it will harm me. At this point, you guys will see the season and I had no idea what I was doing.”
Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET and is available to stream on Peacock the next day.
