Vanderpump Rules stars Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney had a tumultuous relationship, which raised red flags long before they announced their divorce. The exes, who began dating in 2011, have been through a lot together over the years, onscreen and off. With Katie and Tom’s divorce playing out on Vanderpump Rules season 10, it’s a good time to take a look back at the events that led to the couple’s demise. That’s especially true now that viewers know about Tom and Raquel Leviss, who’d been at the epicenter of this season’s drama.
Tom, who often plays the victim, has clashed with Katie over the years. While there have been times when he has been a loving and respectful partner, there have also been times when Katie didn’t know where she stood. For the 36-year-old reality TV star, letting go of her relationship has been a long, drawn-out process that included years of heartache. However, it hasn’t necessarily been surprising to see the marriage crumble. While Tom and Katie clearly thought they were past their biggest issues as a duo, many of their problems simply served as precursors, foreshadowing what would come.
5 Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Pours A Drink On Katie’s Head During A Fight
Back during Vanderpump Rules season 2, Tom and Katie had only been dating for a few years, and were still consistently considered to be close to breaking up. With Tom’s wandering eye, and Katie’s difficulty keeping herself calm when she was drinking, the pair tended to get volatile. During nights out, they’d fight enough to put off their friends. While it’s clear now that Katie was having trouble dealing with the fact that Tom wasn’t as committed to her as she was to him, that wasn’t exactly being shown on the series. At the time, it just seemed like Katie had issues.
In a season 2 episode, where the friend group was down in Mexico to celebrate Stassi’s birthday, Tom and Katie got in a fight at a bar. It seemed unclear what the fight was about at the time, but Katie was unhappy with the way that Tom was speaking to her throughout the trip. The pair had spent the night leading up to the argument drinking, and egging each other on. Tom and Katie went outside the club they were at to continue arguing, and at some point, Tom felt compelled to pour a drink over Katie’s head. Katie, who was already unhappy with Tom, did not deal with it well.
4 Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Gives Katie A ‘Ring On A String’
A few years after the drink pouring incident, Tom was feeling the pressure to propose to Katie. The pair were once again not in a good place, with Tom confessing he’d cheated on Katie in Las Vegas earlier in the year. However, they were trying to put on a brave face for fellow Vanderpump Rules cast members Scheana Shay and Mike Shay’s wedding. After the ceremony, Tom pulled Katie aside to talk about their relationship. Katie, who had given Tom an ultimatum about their romance earlier in the season, was waiting for Tom to propose. Instead, he gave her a promise ring.
The ring, which was infamously called the “Ring On A String” by Lisa Vanderpump and other cast mates, was meant to represent the fact that Tom would eventually propose to Katie, but that he wasn’t ready just yet. Katie accepted the ring, but couldn’t hide her reaction for long. She broke down in tears, unable to understand why Tom wouldn’t commit to her after years of dating. The couple eventually did get engaged, but the Ring On A String genuinely rattled Katie. It raised questions about what would happen in the future.
3 Tom Wants To Sign A Prenup With Vanderpump Rules’ Katie
After the fallout from the Ring On A String debacle died down, Tom and Katie eventually did get engaged, and begin to plan a wedding. Throughout Vanderpump Rules season 5, viewers saw commitment-phobe Tom face his fears, as the pair moved towards getting married at the end of the season. One of Tom’s biggest steps to marriage was asking Katie to agree to sign a prenup, explaining that it was to keep them both protected legally, just in case something happened with their relationship in the future. Katie, who had fought to get Tom to propose for years, was insulted by the idea that they wouldn’t make it. She had a hard time accepting the prenup situation.
While Tom did explain carefully that he was just trying to look out for his future wife, as well as the fact that he didn’t think they would ever need the prenup, he came under fire for suggesting it in the first place. Katie fought not to sign the prenup, accusing Tom of plotting the end of their relationship before it had really even fully began. The couple fought about it for several episodes, but Katie ultimately caved in. They signed a legally binding prenup before they got married. Thankfully for Katie, the contract seemed to keep things fair and equal.
2 Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Chooses His Business Over Katie
After they finally got married, things calmed down for Tom and Katie… for a while. Their first few years of marriage seemed somewhat uneventful for the couple, as they settled in as a pair. Tom found himself working with Lisa and Tom Sandoval more, on business opportunities like TomTom, the restaurant they opened together in 2018. After opening TomTom, Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval wanted to venture into their own business together, and decided to develop a restaurant on their own. Schwartz & Sandy’s, which opened in 2022, was a project that took up a huge portion of the two Toms’ time.
While Katie was proud of Tom for opening a business, and trying to do something different with his life, she also felt that he wasn’t doing a good job of prioritizing their relationship while he was also working on the business. Tom understood what his then-wife was saying, and took her criticisms seriously. However, he still found himself prioritizing Schwartz & Sandy’s over his relationship. The lack of commitment (and ultimately, the lack of time spent together) made the rift between the couple larger than ever.
1 Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Defends Brock During Divorce Dinner With Katie
Vanderpump Rules season 10 has documented Tom and Katie’s divorce, which is still unraveling in real time. While the ex-couple seemed dedicated to having an amicable split, things quickly got dicey when they tried to do so. In a recent episode of Vanderpump Rules, Tom even defended Scheana’s now-husband Brock Davies to Katie, after he didn’t take his ex-wife’s side during a tense conversation at Brock and Scheana’s wedding. Katie had found herself uninvited, and decided to go on the trip to Mexico anyway. Katie, who told producers she thinks maybe Tom, “doesn’t like [her],” is clearly better off without him. The two just weren’t compatible.
