Heavy/NBCUniversal Tom Schwartz, Lisa Vanderpump and Tom Sandoval
Tom Schwartz got candid about his headspace heading into Fox’s “Stars on Mars,” which was filmed in the midst of the “Vanderpump Rules” drama in the spring of 2023, and said he felt like he “lost control” of his life.
Schwartz, who got caught up in the fallout from the Scandoval due to his close friendship and business relationship with Tom Sandoval, told People, “I just felt like I had a little rain cloud over my head.” He added, “It was very doom and gloom. I think I was a little too melodramatic, self-indulgent.”
The longtime VPR star was ripped by fans and co-stars in the wake of the Scandoval as people questioned how long he knew about the affair before it went public. Schwartz told the publication he was “yearning to disconnect” from the pressure, which is why the Fox show was ideal.
“I kind of feel like I lost control of my life,” he described about that time period. “I fell apart a little bit. Every now and then, we fall apart. … I wish I would’ve bucked up a little more, as my mom says, ‘Buck up.'”
He said he tends to “get caught in these negative thought loops and … become hyper-focused on these doomsday worst-case scenario outcomes,” before praising the show for grounding him ahead of filming of “Vanderpump Rules” season 11.
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Tom Schwartz Said Filming ‘Stars on Mars’ Was ‘Transformative’ & He Now Got a New Perspective on His Life
Schwartz described his experience filming “Stars on Mars” as “transformative” while speaking with People and said he returned from the experience with a “fresh perspective.”
“I keep talking about the overview effect — for astronauts, they go up and then they look down at Earth, and it gives them this fresh perspective, this almost like spiritual enlightenment,” he said. “And I feel like I got at least a version of that. I really did.”
The longtime VPR star said he felt as though he’d been living in his “own little bubble” in the last few years and doing the FOX show brought him back out of it and gave him a “newfound appreciation.” He shared that his goal is to now try to be more present and in the moment.
Filming for the 11th Season of ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Is Set to Begin in the Last Week of June
“Vanderpump Rules” season 11 is set to begin filming on Wednesday, June 28, Lala Kent shared on her June 26 Amazon Live. Schwartz’s co-star revealed that the cameras were picking back up and she had a lot of anxiety about how it was going to go, especially as the cast hasn’t had much time to process the Scandoval and the reunion for season 10, which aired in late May and early June.
As for Schwartz, the 11th season might look a lot different for him as he shared that he’s taking a break from Sandoval, his longtime best friend and his business partner. Schwartz revealed on the “When Reality Hits” podcast that he was “taking a break from Tom” and hadn’t spoken to him in a while.
He said he was struggling with Sandoval’s reaction to the affair and pointed out that he hadn’t seen much “contrition” from his former best friend.
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