Why Tom Schwartz Needed to "Recalibrate" his VPR Friendships After Cast Shake-Up

Since it was confirmed that Vanderpump Rules Season 12 will feature a cast of all-new SURvers working under restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump, Tom Schwartz has been taking  time apart from some of his former castmates. 

Schwartz appeared on Season 11 alongside Ariana Madix, James Kennedy, Katie Maloney, Lala Kent, Scheana Shay, Tom Sandoval, and friends Ally Lewber and Brock Davies, and he revealed where he stands with the crew today. 

"Everyone's taking a little time to just recalibrate [and] enjoy their peace and time apart," he told E! News in February 2025. "I think there's still a lot of love and respect amongst the castmates, but regardless of what happens in the future, I think we needed a little break."

Though Schwartz was besties and business partners with Sandoval, he's closer with other cast members these days. 

"I see Scheana and Brock a lot, I text Lala a lot," Schwartz continued to the outlet.

He's also remained close with a show alum. "Yeah, I see Jax [Taylor] a lot; he's my neighbor now," he concluded. 

What's next for Tom Schwartz after Vanderpump Rules 

In addition to the Vanderpump Rules cast switch-up, Schwartz and Sandoval made the difficult decision to close their bar, Schwartz & Sandy's, at the end of 2024.

With Schwartz's life looking very different these days, he's decided to take on a new sort of career venture: podcasting.

In late November 2024, he confirmed to People that he's working on a podcast called Detox/Retox. 

"I'm super excited about that," he said about the forthcoming podcast. 'I'd like to also get behind the camera and produce some shows."

He explained what the series will be about during an appearance on the LadyGang podcast in January 2025.

"It's about balance, about the yin and yang of life," he shared. "It's about the detox and the retox."

He said that new episodes of the podcast will drop weekly, and they'll feature interviews with experts in their respective fields.

"One week, we'll have guests on and we'll nourish the mind, body, and soul, you know what I mean? Maybe some hot yoga, some Bikram, some transcendental meditation," he said about the PodcastOne show. "I'm not an expert in anything. I'll be learning with the audience. And the next week, you know, we're keeping it together so maybe we can fall apart a little bit, have a cheat day, indulge a little bit, you know?"