Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz Reveal They Are “Still Technically Married”
The Vanderpump Rules exes open up about remaining close while navigating their amicable divorce.
Nearly six months after announcing their split, Vanderpump Rules' Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz revealed where they really stand today. On August 19 — two days after what would’ve been their six-year wedding anniversary — Tom appeared as a “special guest” on his ex’s You’re Gonna Love Me with Katie Maloney podcast so they could set the record straight.
"I feel like I would be remiss to not acknowledge our anniversary this year because we are still technically married until later this year,” Katie shared in the episode. “I don’t know if it’s wrong to?”
That’s not the only question they’re “working through” as they attempt to navigate their new normal. In fact, the estranged couple is still “learning how to address each other in public,” as Tom noted. Meanwhile, Katie, who filed for divorce in March, tested out such phrases as “best friend” and “good dear friend” in her introduction.
Since the amicable exes are "still hanging out," the Schwartz & Sandy’s cofounder, more so wondered how to introduce Katie to someone they’ve never met before. “Do you say, ‘My ex-wife?’ It’s so aggressive. It’s melodramatic,” he said. “But you don’t want to say ex-wife. Friend feels too impersonal. What do you say?”
Noting their 12-year romantic history, Katie seemed to land on “best friends,” though Tom thought that label might sound “a little unrealistic.” He added that he considers her a “good dear friend,” but Katie didn’t like that one either. “Is friend too informal?” she asked. “I like best friends. We were best friends. We are best friends.”
After all, they share custody of their beloved dogs, Butter and Gordo VonFriendenheimer, and were family “for many, many years,” Katie noted, adding that maintaining a friendship has “been a priority” for them after selling their Los Angeles home. Agreeing with her, Tom replied, “We still got a good little unit here. Let’s keep it up. Let’s keep it chipper.”
Whether or not they decide to call each other “best friend” or something else, one thing Tom and Katie do agree on is that ending a marriage is no fun, regardless of how amicable it might be. “Divorce no matter what … it still is a mindf—k,” Katie explained, likening the process to a business transaction.
Tom, for his part, called marriage a “beautiful thing,” whereas, in a divorce, everything gets “reduced to like a piece of paper that we sign and then it’s just over. … [It’s] the least romantic thing.” All things considered though, he thinks they’ve made the best of a painful situation.
“I’m happy that we’re still close,” Tom told Katie on her podcast. “I think relatively speaking, we’ve done a damn good job divorcing each other."
