Tom Schwartz considered skipping town after keeping quiet for months about his best friend Tom Sandoval’s affair with Raquel Leviss.
“I had this sort of mounting urge to just pack up my stuff and move,” the longtime Los Angeles resident told People in a story published Wednesday. “I don’t know where — not run away, but just move.”
Schwartz, 40, explained that he was “yearning to just disconnect, to take a break from the internet, my phone, social media” amid the backlash he received from “Vanderpump Rules” fans for not telling Sandoval’s then-girlfriend, Ariana Madix, about the dalliance.
Schwartz’s wish briefly came true when he had to leave his phone behind to film the reality series “Stars on Mars” shortly after Scandoval first made headlines in March.
“I had romanticized this idea,” he told the magazine. “But once it came time to sort of part ways with my phone, it was scary.
“I’m scared of how dependent I am on my cellphone in every facet of life. So it was nice to take a little break from that. And yeah, it felt rejuvenating and restorative.”
The Bravolebrity teased that he “got a massive infusion of levity and an adventure” while shooting the Fox show, which he described as “just what the doctor ordered.”
“I feel more optimistic. I feel myself again, and I just feel better equipped to handle whatever life throws at me,” he explained, seemingly referring to preparing to film Season 11 of “Pump Rules.”
Schwartz gushed that he has a “fresh perspective” and feels “recalibrated” after his simulated trip to Mars and spending time away from Sandoval, 40, and their co-stars.
“I feel like I just lost my way. I lost my way a little bit. I really did. Lost my way, and now I’m found,” he said.
The Schwartz & Sandy’s co-founder confessed that he still does not “have it all together” and is a “constant work in progress.”
“I’m clearly a flawed dude,” he shared. “I feel more optimistic heading into this next year and excited. I’m excited. I feel giddy again, a little lighter on my feet.”
Schwartz said he is continuing to take life “day by day” and “not letting myself spend too much time in the future.”
“That’s probably one of my biggest problems in life,” he continued. “I don’t dwell in the past much, but I spend a lot of time in the future — and usually not in a good way. And I just plan on being more present.”
Schwartz’s opinion on filming seems to have changed over the last few days, as he said last Friday that he was “terrified” of cameras picking back up.
“I’m always slightly terrified when we started a new season. We’ve been through so much with this group, and we’re a volatile crew,” he told Us Weekly at the time.
“We’ve always been a volatile group of friends. I don’t think I’ve ever had an argument outside of this group, to be honest. We have a lot of history together, and there’s been trials and tribulations, but it comes from a place of love.”
Follow Pvnew’s coverage of ‘Scandoval‘
- Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss, Ariana Madix drama, explained
- How Ariana Madix found out about Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss’ affair
- Ariana Madix rips ‘subhuman’ Raquel, ‘rat’ Sandoval in ‘Pump Rules’ reunion trailer
Schwartz’s co-star Lala Kent revealed that filming for the highly anticipated 11th season began Wednesday.
Sources told TMZ that the entire cast is set to return — including Sandoval and Madix, 38 — but Leviss’ future is still up in the air.
Leviss, 28, reportedly “still hasn’t said if she’ll be along for the ride” despite both production and her own team “working hard” to get her to come back amid her stay at a mental health facility.
The former pageant queen has been receiving treatment ever since she and Sandoval faced extreme backlash from both their co-stars and friends for their months-long affair.
Scandoval played out both on-camera and off-camera, culminating in an explosive three-part reunion, during which all of the secret lovers’ former pals hurled insults at them for hours.
