How did Tom Schawartz become friends with Tom Sandoval? Friendship explored after dramatic Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion

Vanderpump Rules season 10 recently dropped another explosive reunion special which left fans shocked. During the segment, Tom Sandoval and Raquel Levis faced the rest of the cast as they were grilled about their months-long affair.

However, one other cast member was grilled due to his close association with Sandoval and Levis and helping cover up their tracks.

Tom Schwartz also faced his fair share of scrutiny for being friends with Sandoval. The two have been friends for a long time and even have a business together. The two initially became friends even before the Bravo show premiered in 2013 as they shared an apartment along with former cast member Jax Taylor.

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Vanderpump Rules' Sandoval and Tom Schwartz have been friends for almost a decade

The Toms are often linked together for their shared initials as well as other things they have in common, including a business, the Bravo show, and closeness with Requel Levis. Schwartz and Sandoval have been friends for more or less 10 years.

Before Vanderpump Rules premiered, the show shared an apartment along with Jax Taylor, who left the show ahead of season 8. Once Schwartz became a full-time cast member of the show after being a supporting star for the first two seasons, fans saw the closeness the two of them shared.

TomTom isn’t their first business endeavor together, as the Vanderpump Rules season 10 cast members first wanted to go into business together in 2015 and tried to pitch a cocktail to Lisa Vanderpump. The same year, the two of them got their then-girlfriend's names, Maloney and Madix, tattooed on their respective behinds.

While Sandoval helped Schwartz propose to Katie during season 4, he also came to his defense when Katie accused her husband of cheating on her during the Las Vegas trip. Sandoval again proved how good of a friend he was to Tom when he flew his family out for the wedding as a wedding gift.

They officially became business partners in season 8 of Vanderpump Rules with the opening of their bar TomTom, followed by their decision to open Schwartz & Sandy’s. Fans saw the two struggling with the same in the latest season, which kept delaying their opening. The cast members finally got their doors open in November 2022.

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What does Schwartz have to say about the Sandoval-Levis affair?

Schwartz has faced his fair share of questions about the infamous Scandoval, as people speculated that there was no way that he didn’t know about the affair. While he initially denied knowing what was happening, he revealed during the reunion that he knew about it since August 2022.

He later claimed that he was a “pawn in the game” when questioned about why he got intimate with Raquel Levis even though he knew that she and Sandoval were secretly together.

The Vanderpump Rules star further defended his friend while on WWHL after the affair broke out and hoped that fans would show Sandoval some “mercy.”

While on the talk show, he said:

"Tom, I know the whole world hates you. But I’m not going to abandon you, old buddy. I’m not going to abandon you. He knows he’s a monster for what he did. If you see him, maybe give him a hug. Even if he doesn’t deserve it, give him a hug. He’s down bad."

Vanderpump Rules season 10’s episodes are available to stream on Peacock.