Did Tom Schwartz Know Tom Sandoval Was Cheating? Andy Cohen Cites ‘Odd Energy’

On March 3, Vanderpump Rules fans were shocked to discover that Tom Sandoval had been cheating on his partner of nine years, Ariana Madix, with castmate Raquel Leviss. According to Bravo’s Andy Cohen, “odd energy” between Sandoval and Tom Schwartz might have foreshadowed the cheating scandal.  

Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss have reportedly been hooking up for months

According to a source speaking with People, the affair between Sandoval and Leviss has been going on “for upwards of six months.”

Another insider shared that Madix was “completely blindsided” by the news and that “devastated doesn’t even scratch the surface of how she feels.”

“This is someone she thought she knew; someone she planned to spend the rest of her life with. You can’t even put into words that betrayal,” the source said.

Madix and Leviss also appeared to have a good relationship on Vanderpump Rules. The source noted, “Ariana had been there for Raquel when she went through her split with James [Kennedy]. She thought they were friends. This isn’t something you do to a friend,” People reports.

Did Tom Schwartz know about the Tom Sandoval–Raquel Leviss affair long ago?

Sandoval and Schwartz have been close friends for years. They also co-own the bars/restaurants Schwartz & Sandy’s and TomTom. According to Cohen, there was recently “odd energy” between the two when they appeared on Watch What Happens Live in early February for the Vanderpump Rules Season 10 premiere.

“When Schwartz was on with Sandoval on premiere night, there was some odd energy between them,” Cohen shared on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy. “Schwartz was looking at Sandoval the entire time, almost for guidance on answers.”

In hindsight, Cohen wondered whether their interaction was a red flag that Schwartz knew of the affair.

And now, former castmate Kristen Doute claims Schwartz “found out about it a month ago.” In the March 8 episode of her Sex, Love and What Else Matters podcast, Doute said she was texting Schwartz the previous day about the scandal.

“[Schwartz] said that he told [Sandoval] he needed to tell Ariana before it blew up in his face and humiliated the hell out of her,” the fired Vanderpump Rules cast member claimed. “Too little too late.”

Tom Sandoval says Tom Schwartz did not know about the affair

On March 5, Sandoval took to Instagram to address the cheating scandal. In his post, he urged fans to leave Schwartz out of the drama and said his friend did not know about the affair.

“I fully understand and deserve your anger & disappointment towards me,” Sandoval wrote. “But please leave Schwartz, my friends, and family out of this situation. Schwartz specifically only found out about this very recently and most definitely did not condone my actions. This was a very personal thing.”

He also encouraged anyone planning to boycott his businesses to reconsider. “Schwartz & Sandy’s might have my name on it, but also there are three other partners and 20 employees who especially rely on the restaurant for income for them and their families. Just like TomTom, I’m a small part of a much bigger thing. Please direct ur anger towards me and not them. They did nothing wrong. I’m so sorry that my partners, Greg, Brett and Schwartz and our employees have to suffer for my actions.”

At the end of the post, the reality TV star announced he would be “taking a step back & taking a hiatus out of respect for my employees & partners.”