Standing by their friends. Following Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney‘s decision to end their marriage, their Vanderpump Rules costars are trying to be present for both of them.
“I’m just there to be supportive as much as I can. Obviously, I don’t want to like bring stuff up or be a reminder so I just kind of wait for when Schwartz or Katie or anybody brings something up and I am there,” Tom Sandoval explained during an interview with Extra on March 23.
Ariana Madix also weighed in on how she has approached addressing the split with the former couple. “We love both of them so much. It’s not like a sides thing, I just want both of them to be happy,” the Florida native explained during the Extra joint interview with her longtime boyfriend. “I am excited for what is next for both of them.”
Earlier that month, Schwartz and Maloney shocked their followers when they announced their breakup on social media.
“Well this sucks,” the TomTom co-owner wrote in a lengthy Instagram statement. “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.”
At the time, Schwartz noted that his “heart aches” as he deals with the major life change. “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 bc it’s too painful,” he added. “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.”
The former SUR waitress, for her part, later opened up about what led to her decision to pull the plug on their marriage. “The best and only way I can describe it is just waking up and having this voice that just became louder and louder. [Also] just events in my life and in our relationship coming into focus and feeling the weight of them on me,” the Utah native shared on her “You’re Gonna Love Me” podcast that same month.
Maloney, who officially filed for divorce on March 22, recalled initially trying to “deny” the feelings that she had about their relationship.
“I wanted to push them out of my head because I love Tom. We have built a life together, he was my person and I wanted to be with him forever. But ultimately, I just wasn’t happy,” she added. “For a long time, I sat with it. I thought about it and I didn’t talk to anyone about it for a long time. I wanted to know, if it was just something else that was making me feel this way [and] that it was coming from a different place.”
Shortly after their split made headlines, Schwartz addressed fan speculation that Sandoval created a rift between him and Maloney.
“Of course I’m sad, but, you know, we still love each other very much,” he told photographers while denying the claims. “No, no, that’s all on me. I wish I had a scapegoat, but that’s all on me. … It’s complicated, obviously. But nothing in particular. You know, life, you know. It’s complicated.”
Scroll down to see everything the Vanderpump Rules cast has had to say about the split:
