Peacock/NBCUniversal Jo Wenberg.
A new “Vanderpump Rules” cast member spoke out about the hate she received after being introduced on the show. In the season 11 episode “Dog Days of Summer,” Tom Schwartz’ friend, Jo Wenberg, made her on-camera debut as she gave him a haircut in a scene filmed at his Valley Village apartment.
In the scene, Schwartz asked Wenberg if she preferred “cash or a trip to Olive Garden” as payment for her services. She chose Olive Garden. He then noted that his group of friends thought Wenberg was his secret girlfriend. She replied with a “Ha!” to the idea.
In a confessional, Schwartz explained that Wenberg was never his girlfriend but that they had a “whirlwind romance” during the summer of 2023. Schwartz split from his ex-wife Katie Maloney in early 2022.
Speaking on her Instagram story the day after the episode aired, Wenberg shared that she received “lots of hate” following her appearance on the Bravo reality show.
“Oh man. I can’t. Lots of hate,” she said, before noting that some fans have been supportive. “I really just hope that everybody …We will continue this journey and it is going to be OK. Everything is going to be fine.”
“Thank you so much for the kind words from most of you guys,” the hairstylist added. “’Vanderpump Rules’ is a new step for me. So you’re damned if you did and damned if you don’t. Sorry, I’m really just so tired.”
Wenberg previously addressed fans on her Instagram story on November 6, 2023, when she changed her account from private to public. “I’m going public with my Instagram tonight,” she said at the time. “I hope you guys will all be kind to me. I haven’t gotten the nicest stuff on any type of platform. …I’m really afraid of actually pulling the plug and going public.”
Jo Wenberg Posted & Deleted a Post About Tom Schwartz After the VPR Episode Aired
PeacockTom Schwartz and Jo Wenberg.
Wenberg may have her work cut out for her trying to win over the other VPR cast members. Schwartz’s ex-wife Maloney has been vocal about her disdain for Wenberg. According to Cosmopolitan, Maloney previously slammed Wenberg in a comment to a post on the fan account @realvanderpump. “Jo is spooky,” Maloney wrote. “None of us could stand to be around her…Her energy is on par with a crack head. …She is a psycho and I will also light her on fire.”
But Wenberg has had some fan support and has responded to some questions from viewers. On February 23 2024, the @glorifiedgossipgirl account posted a screenshot of an Instagram story post that Wenberg deleted. In her post, Wenberg clarified her relationship with Schwartz.
“So MANY QUESTIONS,” she wrote. “Ok – Tom Schwartz and I have chemistry, massive, chemistry. 😱✨ We are both obnoxiously goofy, and we both unconditionally love every human and soul we meet. T$ and I have the most respect for each other. Grateful for him, and he always sees the best in me and vice versa. Take a chapter out of my book and remind yourself that smiling makes you live longer than frowning.”
“At the end of the day, I can place my head on my pillow and sleep peacefully knowing T$ will always be there for me and vice versa. And who knows what the future holds.☀️,” she added.
It is unclear why Wenberg deleted the post, but some fans speculated she may have realized it was inappropriate.
Tom Schwartz Hinted He is Dating Someone New
BravoTom Schwartz.
After Wenberg’s “Vanderpump Rules” debut, Andy Cohen grilled Schwartz about her on “Watch What Happens Live.” Schwartz replied, “We kind of had like a lightning-in-a-bottle situation for a while there, and I don’t know if it was sustainable given my mental state of being. I don’t know if I was equipped to be in a committed, conventional relationship. I was kind of…I should have been committed.”
After Cohen asked him if he is dating anyone now, Schwartz replied, “You know, I would say I am not, not dating.”
“I’m hanging out,” Schwartz added. “I think she would prefer that I didn’t say [who], but I’m hanging out,” Schwartz said.
“Well, then there is someone in particular?” Cohen asked him.
“Ish,” Schwartz replied.
READ NEXT: Former ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Stars Return to TV in ‘The Valley’