Credit: Jen Lowery / MEGA TheMegaAgency
Tom Sandoval‘s longtime friend, Vanderpump Rules co-star, and bar co-owner, Tom Schwartz, has been making headlines for weeks due to his ongoing divorce from Katie Maloney and alleged new romance with Raquel Leviss, who has reportedly caused “tension” between them. So, how is he handling the drama?
During a new interview, Sandoval opened up about the many things that have been going on with him and Schwartz, as well as the happenings of Schwartz’s personal life, admitting that Schwartz has certainly endured his fair share of “ups and downs.”
“[Schwartz] has been a little quiet on social media lately,” Sandoval told E! News on September 22. “This bar [Schwartz and Sandy’s] has definitely really put us through the wringer—emotionally, mentally, physically, financially—and obviously, with going through a divorce and going through changes in his life, dealing with family stuff, he’s definitely had his ups and downs.”
But overall, Sandoval continued, “He seems to be in a decent mindset.”
Schwartz is also “pretty positive and pretty optimistic in his life” as he continues to be romantically linked to Raquel, especially after the two of them were spotted getting close at a L.A. nightclub last week.
Regarding the rumors, however, Sandoval couldn’t say much.
“I think it’s important for people to just watch the show when it comes out and see what happens,” he teased. “I can’t give too much away, but this year has been a very crazy year for him [and] for us, even as friends.”
Also, during his chat with E! News, Sandoval opened up about his new partnership with Yelp, in which he’s teamed up with the brand to help launch their new awards program, The Servies, which honors workers in the fronts of restaurants with a grand price of $3,000 and a trophy.
“Considering that I worked in front of the house for nearly 20 years, I know how important it is to recognize all the hard work they do,” Sandoval said. “What’s cool about these awards is anyone from server to busser or barback and bartender can win.”
“Being in the industry, I just think it’s really important to single out your staff for the great things they do,” he added.
Vanderpump Rules season 10 airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.