(MAINNEWS) – Raquel Leviss believes Katie Maloney is the reason her fling with Tom Schwartz fizzled.
Leviss and Schwartz shocked viewers — and their cast mates — after they locked lips while filming Season 10 of “Vanderpump Rules.” However, Leviss says their budding romance was dead in the water once Maloney found out.
“We are really good friends. We hang out, and he’s a great guy,” Leviss, 28, exclusively told Page Six at the show’s premiere party Tuesday night.
“As far as a romantic thing, it was more his decision to not pursue that. I think Katie had a big reasoning as to why. But I respect his decision, and I gained a really good friendship out of it.”
Page Six
The former beauty pageant queen added that she has no regrets about kissing Schwartz amid his divorce from Maloney — even if the ladies are “not on great terms right now.”
Leviss and the Schwartz & Sandy’s co-owner hooked up during Scheana Shay and Brock Davies’ Mexico wedding over the summer — just five months after he and Maloney announced their separation.
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Leviss was also getting over a breakup at the time after calling off her engagement to co-star James Kennedy in December 2021.
“She certainly spread her wings and flew away,” the DJ, 31, snarkily said when we asked about her love life post-split, teasing that was the reason he threw a drink at Schwartz in the trailer for the new season.
Maloney, 36, was also “very annoyed” that her ex made out with someone “in their circle of friends,” later slamming Leviss as “a fan girl.”
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While Schwartz, 40, told Page Six he stands by his decision to smooch Leviss — an exchange he called “great” — he regrets how it impacted his ex-wife.
“It was only a kiss. I don’t regret it,” he shared. “Now, if we want to get into some of the intricacies, maybe the timing was a little disrespectful.”
“In the moment, I was so caught up in my own little world,” he continued. “Something was in the air. … I regretted it in the sense that it hurt some people that I care a lot about, like maybe James and Katie — not so much James, but Katie.”
Page Six
While Maloney still harbors resentment toward Leviss, she said she and Schwartz are on better terms.
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“We’re good. At this point, I think we’re good,” she told us. “It’s just been a process to find that foundation of our friendship that is healthy for us both and not crossing any boundaries.”
“We are still in each other’s lives, and we want to be,” she added. “He’s still like my family, and I still have love for the guy.”
“Vanderpump Rules” returns Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
By Bernie Zilio and Nicki Cox
