Any hopes of Tom Schwartz repairing his friendship with Ariana Madix one day may have gone out the window after this new confession!
When news of the months-long affair between Rachel Leviss and Tom Sandoval broke last year, fans immediately questioned whether the 41-year-old knew about it. Schwartz and Sandoval have been best friends for years, long before they began their reality television careers, so if anyone was aware of the affair, it would have been him! Considering it reportedly started way back in early August 2022, how could he not have found out at some point, right?? Theories even began circulating that he only made out with Rachel on Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules to help cover for the controversial pair.
Related: Ariana Madix Drags ‘Completely Useless’ Tom Schwartz!
But Katie Maloney’s ex-husband insisted on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that he only found out about Sandoval’s “one night stand” with Rachel in “late August” of 2022 and learned of the “emotional affair” last January. He explained:
“The one-night stand was in August and then it became, from my point of view, it became an emotional affair. Which is still inappropriate but I didn’t think it was linear. [Then] in January, he came to me and told me that he was in love with Raquel.”
However, many fans never bought his explanation. And their suspicions appear to have been right on the money! Schwartz wasn’t telling the truth at all, according to the reality TV star formerly known as Raquel!
The 29-year-old claimed on her Rachel Goes Rogue podcast that he found out “the next morning” after she hooked up with Sandoval for the first time! She said:
“Schwartz knew since the very beginning. I got a phone call from Tom after we hooked up for the first time. My mind was racing, I was feeling so much guilt and shame about it. And I finally got a call from Sandoval, he was at Schwartz’s apartment and that was a safe space for him.”
Rachel explained she and Sandoval hadn’t even come up with a “game plan” before he discussed what happened with Schwartz — and she went out with Ariana later that night:
“So Schwartz knew before we even had a conversation to talk about it and what the game plan was going to be because immediately I was going to film with Ariana and our group of girls that night and I was saying I was seeing Ariana later.”
So he allegedly knew about the affair all along and didn’t tell Ariana? Big ick. Of course, Sandoval and Rachel should have been the ones to come clean about the affair from the start. However, if Schwartz knew, he could have done the right thing and told Ariana the second he heard what happened — even if it would have hurt his friendship with Sandoval. Or hell, convinced Sandy to do the right then even?? As Rachel pointed out, though, those two have the most “co-dependent relationship” she has ever seen on Vanderpump Rules. So Schwartz sticking by Sandoval’s side while he betrayed Ariana for months wasn’t surprising to her.
He better throw out that “five-year plan” he created to get back in Ariana’s good graces! Between remaining friends with Sandoval and allegedly lying about when he found out about the affair, she most likely is done with him for good!
[Image via Bravo/Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen/YouTube]