The Vanderpump Rules lap dog, Tom Schwartz, has admitted to enjoying some hot-and-heavy time with friend Jo Wenberg, but would the two make a good couple?
Schwartz is slowly dipping his toe back into the dating pool after his divorce from Katie Maloney. After 12 years together, the duo called it quits when it became clear that neither was happy with their relationship. Since the split, Katie and Tom have been unable to successfully remain friends and barely co-parent their two pups. Tom pretty much burned that bridge while in Mexico at Scheana Shay’s wedding when he smooched Rachel Leviss.
So now that he is single and very much in his Ken era, who is catching Schwartz’s eye? Tom’s hairstylist and friend/friend with benefits, Jo! But would they actually work out as a couple, or crash and burn like his marriage?
Who Is Jo?
To understand if Jo and Schwartz would make a decent couple, first, we have to figure out who the new lady in his life actually is. We know that Katie is no fan, as she called her out during the Pump Rules Season 10 reunion, labeling her “weird and creepy.”
During a recent Instagram Story, Katie noted, “Jo is spooky. I mean, none of us could stand to be around her. Her energy is on par with a crackhead.” Yikes! Tequila Katie refused to hold back. And the midseason trailer for VPR Season 11 showed that they’ll butt heads in-person.
Jo seemed to pop up like a shark, smelling blood in the water. Newly-single Schwartz was helpless and even allowed her to move in to his bachelor pad for a couple weeks. Meanwhile, Jo’s VPR debut didn’t impress many, including Ally Lewber, as it felt like she was trying too hard to impress the rest of the cast. James Kennedy noted they gave off brother-and-sister vibes, and it was quite obvious Tom was no longer feeling the connection.
Love Blooms
I feel like Schwartz has almost been taken hostage in this new friendship. Jo seems strong and often overpowering with her love and light vibes. Tom shared during the Season 10 reunion that “Jo wasn’t my girlfriend, especially not at that point. It did evolve into a situationship or a friends-with-benefits thing with clearly defined boundaries. We were both coming out of long-term relationships, and for a minute, there, we were each other’s happy places.” Let’s call a spade a spade; it sounds like a rebound.
But during the season premiere, Tom did shed some light on his thoughts on Jo, telling Bravo cameras, “Jo is a human being—Jo is a light in my life. I want to clear things up. Jo was never living with me. Was she staying with me sporadically? Yes. She’s not my girlfriend, she never was. We had a whirlwind romance, but we are just buds now.”
Do the Math
Two plus two will always equal four, but I don’t see Schwartz and Jo adding up. I believe Schwartzy has made his intentions perfectly clear, as he noted via Us Weekly: “Jo is a badass hairstylist. I think she’s a beautiful soul.” I smell a but, guys.
The TomTom partner went on to say, “We’re not living together, and we’re not dating either, but she’s just someone who I appreciate on a deep level, and she’s a really cool human being, and we’re just hanging out.” I think Jo is caught on a merry-go-round that many women get stuck on. They think they can fix this wounded bird of a man when, in all reality, the guy never had a plan to commit.
My theory is backed up by Schwartz’s own words as he shared, “I just got out of a 12-year relationship. I cannot be in a committed — I can’t dive back into another relationship. It wouldn’t be fair to the other person ’cause I’m kind of consumed with, like, business and my family, and I’m kind of falling in love with myself all over again.”
Schwartz is not looking for a mate in the near future, so the most I see happening is a mutual agreement to continue to stay friends with benefits.
Vanderpump Rules continues on Bravo and is available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US- DO YOU THINK SCHWARTZ AND JO WOULD BE A GOOD COUPLE? SHOULD THEY GIVE LOVE A TRY?
