Katie Maloney has advised her ex-husband, Tom Schwartz, to maintain distance from his scandal-ridden friend, Tom Sandoval. Following the revelation of Sandoval's affair with Raquel Leviss, fans of "Vanderpump Rules" have speculated whether Schwartz, Sandoval's friend and business partner, was aware of the relationship between Sandoval and Leviss, which had been going on behind Ariana Madix's back.

Reports last year linked Schwartz to Leviss after they were said to have hooked up at Scheana Shay and Brock Davies' wedding in August 2022. With the emergence of "Scandoval," fans have started speculating if Schwartz was merely a cover for Sandoval and Leviss' secret affair.

 
 
 
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Maloney recently appeared on Nick Viall's "Viall Files" podcast and admitted that she was uncertain about when her ex-husband discovered the affair. Nonetheless, she advised Schwartz to stay away from Sandoval, asserting her belief that Sandoval wouldn't come to her ex-husband's rescue if their roles in Scandoval were switched.

Maloney explained to Us Weekly, "I think the main thing with Tom and Tom that we've seen in [the] past is that Schwartz is very much subservient to Tom in a lot of ways. He lets Tom kind of dominate him and the friendship and the business." She continued, "I told him that, you know, 'I think Tom would throw you under the bus and save himself.'"

Sandoval issued his first statement after news of his breakup with Madix and his affair with Leviss broke on March 3, claiming that Schwartz only found out about the secret relationship "very recently." He urged the public not to involve his best friend and their restaurants, TomTom and Schwartz & Sandy's, in the situation.

Maloney disclosed that Schwartz is mainly concerned about the business in light of his business partner's scandal. She told Viall, "He's ... like, 'I don't think the business should have to fail because of it.' ... I don't like canceled culture in that sense [or] in general, [but], like, when your business is solely based off your reputation ... if you want to be the fun guys who, you know, everyone wants to come have a drink with, you better maintain that you're a fun guy that someone wants to have a drink with."