Reality

‘Vanderpump Rules’: Tom Schwartz Claimed Tom Sandoval Made Him Kiss Raquel Leviss Before Affair Scandal

BravoCon - Season 2022
BRAVOCON — BravoCon 2022 Red Carpet from the Javits Center in New York City on Saturday, October 15, 2022 — Pictured: (l-r) Tom Schwartz, Tom Sandoval — (Photo by: Cindy Ord/Bravo via Getty Images)

Ever since the “Scandoval” news broke, Vanderpump Rules fans have been looking at everything in a different light. Back in February, Tom Schwartz jokingly claimed that Tom Sandoval made him kiss Raquel Leviss. As Vanderpump Rules fans know, Season 10 of the series has chronicled the relationship between Schwartz and Leviss, who both recently got out of relationships with other co-stars. However, the world has since learned that Leviss was actually pursuing a relationship with the other Tom, Sandoval, who was with their mutual friend, Ariana Madix, for nearly a decade.ย 

In light of the “Scandoval” news, some fans have speculated that Schwartz and Leviss’ relationship was actually a cover for the more illicit affair between Sandoval and Leviss. Some believe that Schwartz, who is Sandoval’s best friend and business partner, knew about the affair this whole time. To add weight to this theory, Schwartz previously claimed to Entertainment Tonight that Sandoval “steamrolled” him into kissing Leviss.ย 

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“I’m guilty by association,” he said about his on-screen makeup with Leviss.”Oh my God. [Sandoval] made me do it. I didn’t want to do it. He’s like, ‘If you don’t do it, you’re a wussyโ€ฆ He steamrolled me.” ET pointed out that Sandoval then stepped in to tell Schwartz to stop blaming him, saying that it was all in “fun.” Sandoval explained, “I was stoked [about their on-camera kiss]. I thought it was fun. They went behind this little greenery wall and I went and cracked two beers and handed it to them.”

While many of his co-stars have spoken out about the “Scandoval,” Schwartz only broke his silence on the situation on Saturday. He spoke with TMZ while in LAX and shared some of his thoughts on the matter. Schwartz said, “He’s OK, I think. Relatively speaking. I mean, he has a sense of profound sadness, rightfully so. I think he feels like a piece of sโ€“, and to some extent, maybe he is.” The reality star added, “But he knows he fโ€“ed up. The whole thing is just really sad.”

Schwartz said that he hasn’t been in contact with Madix, but he knows that she has a “really good support system” around her. In regards to Sandoval and Leviss’ months-long affair, he refused to say whether he knew about it. Although, he did say that he did not pursue anything with Leviss in an attempt to cover up for his friend, stressing, “No, that’s not true. Unless I was a pawn in the game. It’s fโ€“ing complicated. That’s the understatement of the year.”ย