Katie Maloney is single for the first time since the inception of Vanderpump Rules. The hit reality TV show first aired in 2013, and Katie was already dating Tom Schwartz. The duo co-starred as a couple for years, even sharing their wedding on the show, until their divorce in 2022.
Season 11 has been a refresher for Katie. She’s single and enjoying every moment of it, including being involved in a love triangle with her ex-husband and Scheana Shay’s nanny. It’s an era of reinvention. And with all the time and energy to focus on herself, Katie has time to pursue personal interests. She’s also dating again, an endeavor that the Bravolebrity called “educational.”
Dating as a reality TV star is an “uneven playing field”
Bustle’s series, Shooting Your Shot, got an exclusive interview with Katie to discuss her preferences in drinking, and what she’s learned since re-entering the dating scene.
One of her dating rules is keeping her “wits about yourself.” However, the Something About Her co-owner acknowledged that “it’s nice to have a couple of drinks to get the nerves down.”
Kaite then listed her “biggest dating icks.” Behaviors that have the VPR star running in the other direction include “speaking negatively or poorly about their ex or speak too much about them. If they get too drunk. Also if they talk about money or status in a way that they’re either bragging or seem insecure.”
The news publication then wanted to know if the Bravolebrity discussed her public divorce on a first date. Certainly, a potential suitor would have access to Katie’s personal life due to her involvement in a reality TV show.
“I want to be as upfront and truthful and not omit that information,” Katie explained. “That’s a big part of my fabric as a person, but I don’t want to harp on it for too long about the breakup or what went wrong. I try to only give as much information as necessary, and they can ask questions.”
Speaking of being a reality TV star, Katie described how being on VPR “impacted” dating. She only takes issue “when the person is aware I have been on the show and have a public platform.”
Katie explained, “They can Google me and there’s a lot of very intimate information they can find out. It feels like an uneven playing field because I have to ask them questions to find out about their life. It doesn’t matter [to me] whether they’ve seen every episode or not seen a single one. I just think it’s weird when people aren’t truthful about it.”
Katie is “just trying to enjoy” dating
After being out of the dating game for over a decade, Katie prides herself on “being vulnerable and putting myself out there.” She also called the experience “educational.”
“It’s not easy meeting people and dating because these days people are very into being very casual. They’re not really into openly communicating, so how do you get past a date or a talking phase? I’m just trying to enjoy the process,” the Something About Her co-owner said.
Katie answered a question about her “boundaries when staying friends with an ex.” It’s an ironic question given her attempts to dislodge Schwartz from her life post-divorce.
“I don’t like to have bad blood,” she answered. “I like to remain friends with people, especially [if] you have a bond with somebody for so many years. For them to become this stranger to you feels odd to me. You do have to have boundaries in terms of what information you give them and their access to you for your own sanity and emotional well-being. No one wants to date somebody whose BFFs with their ex, even if it’s totally, completely platonic.”
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TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF KATIE’S DATING PREFERENCES? DID ANY OF HER ANSWERS SURPRISE YOU?
