Katie Defends Asking Tom Not to Hookup With ‘Pump Rules’ Costars, Cast Reacts

Expecting too much or setting the right boundaries? After Katie Maloney revealed her “one rule” to stay friends with ex-husband Tom Schwartz was no hooking up within their friend group, the Vanderpump Rules OG is defending herself.

Katie, 36, responded to an Instagram user after she made the declaration during the Wednesday, February 8, episode of the Bravo series.

“So she wants to divorce him but wants to tell him who he can and cannot kiss,” the viewer wrote. “I don’t think breaking up works that way.”

The former SURver fired back: “When we are sharing custody of dogs and share mutual best friends, creating boundaries is necessary. I wasn’t telling him what to do. I was saying it would create a toxic environment and he agreed. We had seen it play out in our friend group a million times before.”

Katie and Tom, 40, announced their split in February 2022. Us Weekly broke the news that August that the TomTom co-owner made out with costar Raquel Leviss during a cast trip to Mexico for Scheana Shay and Brock Davies’ wedding.

“In the moment, there was momentary passion in the air. I kind of disappeared into that kiss, I’ll be honest. It was kind of a transformative moment,” Tom exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, February 7, at a season 10 premiere event. “In terms of any long-term romance with me and Raquel, I don’t know how much chemistry is there.”

While doesn’t regret the hookup, he told Us that he does “regret hurting Katie.”

“That was never my intention,” he said. “Maybe it was a little selfish ‘cause I just felt mired in sadness. I was so sick of having this little rain cloud above my head. … There was love in the air [at Scheana and Brock’s wedding], it was palpable and that kiss was just, like, the cherry on top. It was a transformative moment. It, like, broke my curse. I was under a spell.”

Raquel, 28, for her part, confirmed to Us that she and Tom “made out a few times,” but aren’t dating.

“It was fun, I enjoyed it. I think he did too,” she said on Tuesday. “Schwartz and I only made out, so, I’m literally just like a makeout slut. I think they used to call Schwartz a makeout slut, but I think I [now have] the title.”

As for Katie, she told Us a friendship with Raquel wasn’t “meant to be,” but she’s still working on things with Tom.

“I have a history with Tom and we have dogs, so I was a little bit more keen to try to repair and work through [everything],” she said. “We’re trying to figure out where the sweet spot is in our friendship that we can remain in each other’s lives, remain friends, but it’s not causing too much rift and all of that.”

Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET. Scroll through for more from the cast on Katie’s rule: