Winter House's Malia White and Katie Flood Reveal Tom Schwartz's Lingering Feelings for Katie Maloney

Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney completed their divorce in October 2022, but not all of his Winter House co-stars believe that he has truly moved on.

"I do believe that he still loves his ex-wife," revealed Malia White, who appears on season 3 of Winter House alongside the 41-year-old Schwartz, exclusively to We on Tuesday, November 21. White made this statement in reference to Schwartz ending his relationship with co-star Katie Flood during the popular Bravo show.

Flood, 31, does not believe that Schwartz’s reluctance to be with her on Winter House was due to his feelings for Maloney. Instead, she thinks it was because Schwartz was concerned about how his actions on the Bravo series would affect his ex-wife, Katie.

Malia White and Katie Flood Jordan Strauss/Bravo

Winter House was shot in Colorado Springs shortly after filming season 10 of Vanderpump Rules in spring, where Schwartz's confession about kissing costar Raquel Leviss after his divorce hurt Maloney. This followed news that Raquel had an affair with Tom Sandoval while he was dating their castmate Ariana Madix. Flood commented that Schwartz was trying to be respectful and not hurt his ex-wife during the Winter House filming.

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Schwartz's decision to be overly considerate of Maloney's emotions sparked conflict between him and Flood, with whom he formed an immediate bond upon reaching the winter chalet.

Flood admitted that she couldn't pinpoint the exact moment their chemistry changed, but recalled a cute grocery trip that led to a deep conversation, sparking their flirtation. She was impressed by Schwartz's honesty about his past and his marriage, finding it attractive and likable. Flood described it as a little crush.

Despite their promising beginning, Flood and Schwartz encountered numerous obstacles in their pursuit of a vacation romance. The main challenge was Schwartz's struggle to overlook the fact that both Flood and Maloney shared the same name, including their middle moniker, Marie. "Initially, I didn't think much of it. We were all aware of his situation and I tried to be mindful and considerate of that," Flood confessed to Us, admitting that Schwartz's difficulty with her name eventually became overwhelming. "But it did reach a breaking point, and it was tough."

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She recalled Schwartz frequently discussing his efforts to show respect towards his ex-wife, which she sympathized with. However, she noted, "I do have emotions, and it was becoming draining to continually go through this cycle, and I felt a bit disregarded."

In the meantime, White informed Us that she was initially supportive of Flood and Schwartz's relationship at the beginning of their journey. She also observed how Schwartz's desire to protect Maloney influenced his attitude towards Flood, leaving her unsettled.

“They were both attractive, but Katie found it frustrating how he kept talking about his ex-wife. We understand the need to respect her, but you can move on with respect as well,” White, 33, expressed. “There's a way to do that. I think everyone found it annoying, especially the constant mention of the name.”

Despite the challenges and their taxi makeout session, Flood and Schwartz left the house on good terms. "Let's just say we went through a roller coaster," Flood joked about the end of Winter House, saying "everything's fine" now.

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Winter House airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi