Katie Maloney isn’t afraid to share everything about her split from ex-husband Tom Schwartz. That includes all their issues and the lessons she learned before finally pulling the plug on their union.
“I held onto that relationship obviously because I was in love with him,” Katie, 36, shared on a recent episode of the Almost Adulting podcast. She talked about how her big plans for a future with Tom and her struggle with her self-worth and confidence prevented her from leaving sooner.
Ultimately, the marriage was toxic for both of them, and it was time to walk away.
He blamed me
The Vanderpump Rules star also shared the challenges she faced in her marriage with Tom, 40, on the show, and there were many.
“I never felt prioritized,” she said. “Tom didn’t really have my back or defend me or make me feel supported or heard. I just wanted that validation from him,” she added. “So I made myself smaller in ways. I lost myself.”
And, of course, the infidelity was another major challenge. One which Katie says Tom blamed on her. “The infidelity and cheating happened, and he blamed me for a lot of it. And I just took it,” she shared. She admitted that it took a lot of time for her to come to terms with their issues and realize their relationship wasn’t healthy.
“It took me working on myself in general. I wanted to boost my own confidence and start working on myself,” Katie admitted.
Letting go
Katie and Tom confirmed their split in March 2022, months before they started filming the new season of Pump Rules. Not awkward at all!
At the time, Tom addressed the split on his Instagram and wrote, “Well this sucks. How am I supposed to capture 12 years in a f*cking canned Instagram caption. I’m not quite ready to use the ‘D’ word because it’s too painful.”
Looks like he didn’t need to go far for comfort. After they split, Tom hooked up with VPR co-star Rachel Leviss at the wedding of Brock Davies and Scheana Shay in August 2022.
Watching the former couple navigate their new normal as exes was pretty awkward for viewers all around. After all, the end of a relationship is hard enough for ex-couples without the added pressure of the cameras rolling.
At the end of the day, though, they both had to move out of a crappy situation, and Katie shared that she had no regrets about ending her marriage. “I was not asking for the world,” she said. “I was asking for somebody to show up for me, and they couldn’t.”
While it was hard to detach from her former love, watching the show and his bad behavior ultimately helped her move on and realize that she was brave. “I’m a tough bitch,” she concluded.
TELL US – WAS IT FAIR FOR TOM TO BLAME KATIE FOR HIS BAD BEHAVIOR? DO YOU THINK SHE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE TO DIVORCE HIM?
