Tom Schwartz is breaking his silence amid allegations of a months-long affair between his best friend and business partner, Tom Sandoval and Vanderpump Rules co-star, Raquel Leviss.
Schwartz, who throughout season 10 has been pegged as the guy Leviss had her eye on after calling off her engagement to James Kennedy, said he was shocked to learn about Sandoval's dalliances with Leviss and saddened to see his nine-year-long relationship with fellow co-star and friend, Ariana Madix, come to an end.
In video obtained by TMZ, Schwartz said Sandoval's doing "okay relatively speaking" and that he has a sense of profound sadness. That being said, Schwartz says Sandoval "feels like a piece of s**t, and to some extent, he is. But he knows he f***ed up."
As for Ariana, Schwartz is adamant she has a really good support system.
"She's with friends," he said. "I hope she's living a good life and indulging. I hope she goes on a living spree."
Schwartz insists he hasn't seen or talked to Leviss since the so-called "Scandoval" broke.
As for whether he knew about the affair all along, Schwartz deflected, saying he prefers not to talk about it.
"You'll see it play out on the show."
The Schwartz and Sandy's co-owner's statement comes following two public apologies from Sandoval, who mentioned his business partner in his first post about the scandal.
"Hey, I fully understand and deserve ur anger and disappointment towards me, but please leave Schwartz my friends and family out of this situation…," Sandoval, wrote asking for fans to leave his best friend and business partner, Tom Schwartz, out of the drama. "Schwartz specifically only found out about this very recently, and most definitely did not condone my actions."
"This was a very personal thing," Sandoval maintained.
The 39-year-old reality star also urged fans to leave their bar out of it, and stressed that his business partners and employees have done "nothing wrong."
"I'm so sorry that my partners, Greg, Brett, and Schwartz and our employees have to suffer for my actions," he wrote before signing off. "I will be taking a step back & taking a hiatus out of respect for my employees & partners. I need some time to address everything else. Sorry for everything."
On their official Instagram page, Schwartz and Sandy's also posted a message, asking fans to step back. "In light of the recent news we appreciate the many words of support but we also understand the outpouring of outrage that has been directed towards our business," their post read. "However, those of us who are not famous have dedicated our time, hearts and money to make this restaurant a reality."
The post included kind words for Madix. "We too are disappointed by the current situation, as Ariana has always been a good friend and a great supporter of the restaurant," it read.
"We appreciate that you may feel a certain way, but please understand that the livelihoods of others also depend on this business," the message noted. "There are far more people involved in this venue other than just Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz. Our staff, from the waitresses and bartenders to the cooks and dishwashers, all have had nothing to do with this unfortunate situation. Please take into consideration, that point negative comments affect more than just the individual you may be upset with."
"Our goal has always been to create a place where our community can come and enjoy a fun atmosphere with good food and friendly service and we intend to continue to focus on that endeavor," the statement concluded.
Speaking out again Wednesday Sandoval, shared a second personal message on his Instagram account, in which he apologized to "everyone I've hurt."
He then focused his apology on Madix, writing, "Most of all, I want to apologize to Ariana. I made mistakes, I was selfish, and made reckless decisions that hurt somebody I love. No one deserves to feel that pain so traumatically and publicly."
News of Sandoval and Leviss' affair first broke earlier this month, with a source telling ET that there have been "too many instances where Ariana felt like Tom disrespected her and she finally ended things."
"Tom and Raquel’s incident has created a major split in the group with almost everyone against Tom and Raquel," another source told ET. "The group feels like Tom has been going through some sort of midlife crisis, with the creation of his band and acting out at times. The girls are rallying around Ariana, but know in time she'll be OK."
Meanwhile, Vanderpump Rules has resumed production with plans to include the breakup and its fallout in season 10, a source told ET. That split, another source told ET, is for good as neither Madix nor Sandoval wants to get back together.
"Ariana has no plans to get back with Tom after what he did to her and Tom is ready to move on," the source said. "Ariana is devastated and feels betrayed, something she won't be able to get over for a long time."
RELATED CONTENT:
