“The Valley” is back on Bravo with two familiar faces joining the mix as full-time cast members: “Vanderpump Rules” alums Tom Schwartz and Lala Kent.
During the premiere episode, Schwartz opened up about how life has been since his divorce from Katie Maloney in 2022. He also reflected on the closure of his bar, Schwartz & Sandy’s, which he co-owned with Tom Sandoval, in late 2024, an experience that took a significant toll on him.
However, in the latest episode, Schwartz shared how he was able to move past these challenges and even finds himself getting flirty with one of his co-stars.
Tom Schwartz Feels ‘Like a Brand New Me’ in ‘The Valley’ Season 3 Premiere
BravoTom Schwartz is sharing new life updates since fans last saw him on “Vanderpump Rules” season 11. Appearing as a full-time cast member on “The Valley,” season 3, Schwartz spoke honestly about how his divorce and the closing of his bar were a really rough time for him and how he was able to pick himself back up.
“Man, my life kinda fell apart at the seams,” he told the cameras, adding, “Divorced. I was hemorrhaging money.”
Hanging out with Zack Wickham, Schwartz discussed how difficult the last couple of years had been for him. “You know how sometimes when you’re depressed you put on weight? After the bar closed, I think I put on a happy 15 pounds,” he told him.
Schwartz went on to share that he was “happy on some level” that he went through those rough patches, even losing a staggering six-figure amount when his and Tom Sandoval’s bar shut down. “But it just made me a better person. It gave me grit,” he said.
Wickham then reminded Schwartz how far he’s come, noting that he was able to pull himself out of a difficult period. “You needed a break. It just wore you down. You got stuck in a really bad situation. Now you’re to the point where you’re ready to thrive instead of just survive.”
“I lost all my harmony and my zest. I lost my Schwartz,” he shares, before telling Wickham, “I got it back.”
Speaking to the cameras, Schwartz uses Brittany Cartwright’s famous saying, when he shares, “I feel like a brand new me. I don’t know exactly how to articulate it, but I just feel I got my sparkle. Can I steal Brittany’s line? I feel like I got my sparkle back.”
Schwartz Gets Flirty With Michelle Saniei
GettyLater in the episode, Schwartz arrives at Kristen Doute and Nia Sanchez’s sip-and-see party, where he is seen casually flirting with his co-star Michelle Saniei, though some of his castmates aren’t exactly thrilled about a potential spark between them.
“Michelle, have you ever seen ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back?” He begins. “Not that your groove isn’t back, but you’re gorgeous.”
“I think we’re on similar journeys. I’m trying to live, I’m trying to laugh,” he tells her before she chimes in with, “Wait, what is that movie, ‘Eat, Love, Pray?'” With Schwartz adding, “Yes, we are Julia Roberts right now.” The two later agree to go on a spa date, with Saniei sharing, “anything spiritual.”
However, Doute isn’t a fan of the pair’s possible romance, sharing with the cameras, “Michelle is a fine French wine. Tom’s a Jägerbomb at a sports bar.”
Who is Schwartz Dating Today?
Although fans may see Schwartz flirting with Saniei this season, he has been in a relationship with model Kiana Carroll since 2025. He first revealed that he was “dating” someone during a guest appearance on Lala Kent’s “Untraditionally Lala” podcast in October 2025.
Kent shared that his new girlfriend had a “very hot face,” while adding, “Some would call it a supermodel stunning face. I, like, kind of couldn’t put together words when I saw her.”
Most recently, Carroll joined Schwartz on his “Detox Retox” podcast, where the two talked about reaching their six-month mark in their relationship. “Listen, if we can make it past six months, maybe we can make it all the way. Maybe we can go the distance,” he told Carroll.
During a Bravo Q&A with Kent in February, Schwartz teased that viewers may see the start of him falling in love.
“I’m starting life over in my 40s,” he shared. “And you get to see how that looks, and also, you get to see me in the early stages of kind of falling in love. Which is super intimate,” he said.
New episodes of “The Valley” season 3 air every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
