Why Are Katie Maloney, Tom Schwartz and Raquel Leviss Feuding? Inside the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Drama
Breaking girl code? Vanderpump Rules season 10 kicked off with unwavering drama between Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz after he hooked up with costar Raquel Leviss shortly after their March 2022 split. However, tensions have risen even more between the cast after rumors swirled that Raquel not only kissed Schwartz but has also allegedly been involved in an affair with Tom Sandoval. Keep reading to learn everything we know about the feud between Katie, Tom and Raquel.
Why Are Katie Maloney, Tom Schwartz and Raquel Leviss Feuding?
The drama started when Schwartz and Raquel made out at costar Scheana Shay’s wedding in August 2022. “Apparently there was some heavy drinking involved,” an insider told Us Weekly at the time, noting that they “heard through the grapevine” that the restaurant owner and Raquel’s actions didn’t go any further than that.
The cast remained rather tight-lipped about the PDA moment until VPR season 10 premiered in February 2023. Raquel, who was formerly engaged to costar James Kennedy, exclusively told Life & Style that she had “no regrets” about her intimate moment with Schwartz.
“As a single person, I feel like I’m putting myself first for the very first time in my life, and I thought that Schwartz was very [and] has always been super sweet,” Raquel admitted at the time. “I was never really attracted to him or thought of him in that way until after James and I broke up. So, it was something that interested me, and I gave it a shot.”
As for Schwartz, he also doesn’t regret romantically testing the waters with the former Miss Sonoma County pageant princess.
“In the moment, there was momentary passion in the air. I kind of disappeared into that kiss, I’ll be honest. It was kind of a transformative moment,” he told Us Weekly in February 2023.
Although the Tom Tom co-owner deemed Raquel as “cool,” he admitted that he “doesn’t know how much chemistry” they have to fulfill a “long-term romance.”
Are Tom Schwartz and Raquel Leviss Dating?
Schwartz and Raquel remain friends after their make out session. However, the former SUR hostess posted a photo with Schwartz via Instagram on February 19, 2023.
The two smiled for the photos in front of Schwartz and Sandy’s while Tom had his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Katie stumbled across the photo and publicly shared her thoughts in the comments section.
“You really thought you did something here, but these comments ATE LOLOL,” she wrote in her first comment.
The TV personality continued her reaction in a second comment, “Nobody sad. … I’m dead! The amount of times the picture landed in my inbox, I couldn’t leave it alone. Desperado.”
Katie’s bestie and VPR icon Stassi Schroeder even entered the chat, writing, “I know no one asked for my opinion, but it’s moments like this I really miss giving it.”
However, things took an unexpected turn after news broke that Sandoval and Ariana Madix split on March 3, 2023, Life & Style confirmed at the time. The reports stated that Sandoval and Ariana split after nine years together because he was allegedly having an affair with Raquel.
The same day, a source close to the former couple exclusively told Life & Style the cheating rumors were true.
“[Ariana and Sandoval], in fact, broke up due to Tom cheating on her with Raquel,” the insider claimed.
Although Vanderpump Rules stars like James Kennedy claimed the infidelity rumors were true, Raquel has not publicly addressed the rumors.
Sandoval, on the other hand, released a statement on March 4, 2023, while seemingly admitting to the rumors.
“I fully understand and deserve ur anger [and] disappointment towards me, but please leave [Tom] Schwartz, my friends and family out of this situation,” Sandoval wrote at the time. “Schwartz specifically only found out about this very recently, and most definitely did not condone my actions. This was a very personal thing.”
What Was Katie’s Reaction To Tom Schwartz and Raquel’s Kiss?
Before Raquel entered the chat, Katie and Schwartz split amicably and their divorce was finalized in October 2022. However, the news of Schwartz’s heated moment with Raquel made Katie realize that her ex-husband will “never respect” her and will “continue to humiliate her.”
The Vanderpump Rules OG told ET in February 2023 that she and Schwartz created a boundary and agreed not to ?hook up ?with other cast members.
“I thought that would help us, because it's toxic. I didn't want us to be a Vanderpump Rules statistic where it becomes very incestuous. It felt like just such a slap in the face. Truly. I wasn't trying to control the man," she told the publication at the time. "He's free to do what he wanted, but it was the fact that we really had had multiple conversations and were pretty much on the same page about it all, and I couldn't wrap my head around it."
Why Are Katie Maloney and Scheana Shay Feuding?
After Tom and Raquel’s make out session was out in the open, Scheana admitted that she pushed for it to happen with Katie's alleged approval. The “Good As Gold” singer claimed she had a conversation with Katie in Las Vegas the same month as her wedding about Schwartz and Raquel.
“There was a conversation that happened between Katie and I … and Katie said, ‘I think they would make a good couple,’ or, ‘They might be a good match,’ or something along those lines,” Scheana said on Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast on February 17, 2023. “So, I took that and ran with it and I told Raquel, ‘Katie kind of gives you her blessing if you want to pursue that.’ And then you’ll see the rest play out.”
That being said, the former “You’re Gonna Love Me” podcast host denied that conversation happened and shared her receipts via Instagram. Three days after Scheana’s podcast episode was released, Katie posted a series of texts between her and Scheana after their August 2022 conversation.
“Back in May … after we spoke in Vegas … I told Scheana I wasn’t down for this s--t … so keep going with this diabolical nonsense,” Katie wrote.
