“It's a terrifying monster”: Tom Schwartz addresses Scandoval’s negative impact on his life in Stars on Mars episode 4

Vanderpump Rules star Tom Schwartz is currently trying to move on from the Scandoval drama by being a part of a new reality TV show, Stars on Mars. In episode 4, he addressed how his BFF Tom Sandoval’s cheating scandal affected his life. He mentioned that the Bravo show’s drama had a negative impact on his morale.

Schwartz said:

“The Sandoval stuff, it's a terrifying monster that's taken on a life of its own now, and it's having a negative impact on my focus, on my morale.”

While Sandoval and Raquel Leviss received the maximum wrath for their affair, Tom Schwartz was also dragged in for supporting the two. Since the bombshell Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion ended, Schwartz has been seen slamming his business partner multiple times for being the reason behind fans’ hatred towards him.

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“I'm not him”: Tom Schwartz takes a dig at Tom Sandoval in Stars on Mars episode 4

In Stars on Mars episode 4, Tom Schwartz talked about the Scandoval fallout. He described it as “messed up” and that he participated in the FOX competition series to change his mindset.

In the episode, he addressed the Vanderpump Rules drama related to Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss.

He said:

“I came up here to get a fresh mindset because this thing with my friend back home on Earth, it's incredibly messed up."

He continued:

“I did not have an affair, I'm not him. And it's just so strange that I've been absolutely mired in this.”

Schwartz further told his co-star Adam Rippon that the Scandoval drama was still on his mind. He stated:

“You'll see me staring off into a corner. That means I'm back on Earth, dealing with Earth problems. I don't want to go back. … I feel like I'm rewiring my brain a little bit. No, no, no, I'm not ready to go home. But I have moments of weakness. Every morning I wake up here, I'm surrounded by greatness.”

While Schwartz expected that he would stay away from Earth for a longer period, his luck didn’t work in his favor. He and Natasha Leggero were eliminated in Stars on Mars episode 4.

Meanwhile, Tom Schwartz is back in the real world, still facing the aftermath of Scandoval. He recently mentioned that he was “stepping away” from Sandoval’s friendship after receiving backlash for supporting his affair with Raquel.

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What was the Scandoval drama?

In March 2023, Vanderpump Rules fans went into shock as they learned about Tom Sandoval’s cheating scandal. They titled it "Scandoval."

The TomTom co-owner cheated on his long-time girlfriend Ariana Madix with Raquel Leviss. He and Ariana were dating for over nine years and were in a live-in relationship, staying together in a house bought by them as a couple. He cheated on her by having an affair with one of her closest friends Raquel.

While Ariana received a lot of support from the cast and fans around the world, Sandoval and Raquel received a lot of flak. Along with the two, Tom Schwartz was also slammed for supporting his business partner and best friend. He, later, announced that he was taking some time off from his friendship with Sandoval.

He said:

“My friend had an affair that just happened to swipe the nation and it’s incredibly messed up but the thing is I've become mired in it. That’s been a huge source of just angst in my life. I've been in this extended funk.”

Meanwhile, Tom Schwartz bid farewell to Stars on Mars after being eliminated in episode 4. Viewers can tune in to FOX every Monday for a new episode at 8:00 pm ET.