Tom Schwartz Admits Being Aware Of Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss Affair Since Last Year

Tom Schwartz is getting real about his best friend Tom Sandoval's cheating scandal with Raquel Leviss.

Schwartz, 40, sat down with host Andy Cohen on Wednesday's "Watch What Happens Live," where the "Vanderpump Rules" star admitted to having known about Sandoval and Leviss' affair since August 2022.

"I learned about the affair in August," Schwartz claimed, Us Weekly reported.

He went on to allege that his TomTom co-owner and the 28-year-old former beauty pageant contestant had a "one-night stand" that turned into an "emotional affair."

"The one-night stand was in August and then it became, from my point of view, it became an emotional affair. Which is still inappropriate, but I didn't think it was linear," Schwartz claimed. "[Then] in January, he came to me and told me that he was in love with Raquel."

The former model admitted that he was "flabbergasted" but not "surprised" by Sandoval's confession because his friend's cheating had allegedly become an "open secret."

"Tom kind of got flagrant. He was brazen after he told me he was in love. It was like a release for him," he added.

As for why he didn't tell Sandoval's then-longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix about the affair, Schwartz claimed he was "being fed a narrative that [Sandoval] was breaking up with Ariana. That he was not happy, not healthy."

Schwartz also alleged that Sandoval promised him that he would "do the right thing" but continued to "procrastinate."

"He's like a shell of himself. He's not realizing the negative impact this has had on his other ventures. Businesses, bars, the band," Schwartz said, before sharing that Sandoval is currently "infatuated" with Leviss. "He took advantage of my kindness and put a lot of people, not just myself, in very compromising situations where our integrity was at stake. I think — Tom has ADHD – and honestly, he became obsessed. He is notorious for having an obsession."

After news of Sandoval's breakup with Madix and his infidelity broke on March 3, "Vanderpump Rules" fans immediately began speculating whether Schwartz was used as a cover to hide Sandoval and Leviss' months-long affair.

Schwartz was linked to Leviss last year after reports claimed that they were seen kissing during Scheana Shay and Brock Davies' August 2022 wedding.

A day after the scandal made headlines, Sandoval released a statement defending his friend and asking the public not to take his actions out on their businesses.

"Hey, I fully understand and deserve ur [sic] anger and disappointment towards me, but please leave Schwartz, my friends and family out of this situation," the musician and restaurateur wrote on Instagram.

"Schwartz specifically only found out about this very recently, and most definitely did not condone my actions. This was a very personal thing," he added.

Sandoval later posted a second apology after being called out for not mentioning Madix in his initial response.

Schwartz's ex-wife Katie Maloney told Nick Viall on his "Viall Files" podcast that she warned her ex to distance himself from Sandoval because if their roles were reversed, she believes that Sandoval would throw Schwartz under the bus.

"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," Maloney said. "He lets Tom kind of dominate him and the friendship and the business. And because Schwartz is kind of, like, wants to just go with the flow and doesn't want to be confrontational about things had the roles been reversed — let's say in this whole situation with the Scandoval — I told him that, you know, 'I think Tom would throw you under the bus and save himself.'"