Tom Schwartz Asked Tom Sandoval to ‘Step Away’ from Their Bar During the Height of Scandoval

Drinks at Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz’s bar aren’t the only thing on offer.

On Tuesday in the episode Vanderpump Rulesthe Schwartz & Sandy co-owners clarified the status of their friendship and Sandoval’s involvement, or lack thereof, in their Los Angeles bar.

While speaking with Lisa Vanderpump at the closing party of her restaurant, Pump, Schwartz was candid about how Scandoval has influenced the bar he co-owns with Sandoval.

“We feel really bad. We all had to clean up Tom’s mess,” Schwartz admitted to the former The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star. “He has seriously tarnished the brand name. My partners don’t want to work with him.”

He said that due to the backlash the firm faced following Sandoval’s affair with former colleague Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, “we asked Sandoval to step down from Schwartz & Sandy’s.”

Schwartz explained, “My partners told Tom they would close the door if he came in and he wasn’t welcome there.”

Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval.

Nicole Weingart/Bravo

Schwartz said that if he were Sandoval, he would use this time to think about how he “jeopardized the job” instead of “fully checking[ing] out.”

But Vanderpump, who co-owns TomTom with the men, thinks this conversation should be between them. “I just think it’s time to rethink your point of view on everything,” she advised. Before you make any decisions, tell him how you feel, she said.

Vanderpump explained in the confessional that she thought it was “unfair” that Schwartz was blaming Sandoval for their bar’s problems. “I don’t think Sandoval thought, ‘Oh, I wonder if the profits at Schwartz & Sandy’s are going to drop because I’m making out with my partner’s best friend,'” she said.

Vanderpump Rules: Ariana refuses to ‘hide’ as she accuses Sandoval of ‘psychological warfare’ over ‘dominance’

Later in the episode, Schwartz and Sandoval meet again after the musician leaves Los Angeles to film a Fox competition show, Special forces. But Schwartz quickly began discussing his grievances with his business partner.

“You’ve become almost like a mythological being, like a cryptid,” Schwartz said, adding that he’d rather shoot in New Zealand, where Sandoval had just returned, than deal with what’s going on at Schwartz & Sandy’s.

Tom Sandoval on Special Forces.

Pete Dadds / FOX

“I know there was collateral damage,” Sandoval said. “I’m really sorry, Schwartz. I feel you are angry with me.”

He went on to explain that he went on tour with his band after the scandal out of financial necessity. Sandoval said Ariana Madix’s ex “didn’t pay any bills for about eight freaking months.”

Schwartz reiterated what he told Vanderpump earlier in the episode, explaining that he wishes Sandoval had said, “Hey guys, can I get a publicist to help? I just want to tell you that I’m so fucking sorry.”

Clearly frustrated, Sandoval said he couldn’t do anything because his business partners told him not to come to the bar. “I think it would actually help me to get in there. But, look, look, I can’t,” he said.

In April 2023, a month after the scandal broke, Schwartz spoke about their affairs Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. He explained that the first few days were “a bit rough” for their restaurants.

“There was a point where people vandalized our place. And that crossed the line. I get it, but the vandalism is too far,” Schwartz said. “Breathe in—go out, and I mean that in the least patronizing way—but go out and take three deep breaths.”

Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET on Bravo.

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Source: HIS Education