Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Breakups Tom Sandoval Says He's 'Here' to Support Tom Schwartz amid Divorce: 'When You Need Me, Let Me Know' Katie Maloney filed for divorce from Tom Schwartz on Tuesday after 12 years together By Charmaine Patterson Charmaine Patterson Charmaine Patterson is an Associate Editor at PEOPLE. She first began working at PEOPLE in 2021 as a Digital News Writer. Her work has previously appeared on xoNecole, The Lakelander, and Aspire TV. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 23, 2022 06:41PM EDT Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz. Photo: Gabriel Olsen/Getty Tom Sandoval is standing by his close friend Tom Schwartz as Schwartz goes through his divorce from Katie Maloney. Sandoval, 38, told E! News Tuesday that he and Schwartz, 39, "have been really busy with opening up" their joint bar Schwartz and Sandy's. The Vanderpump Rules star added that Schwartz also has "stuff going on with his dad." Sending a thoughtful message to his friend, Sandoval told the outlet, "When you need me, let me know, hit me up. But otherwise, respectfully, I won't bug you. I don't want to bring stuff up. I don't want to be a constant reminder of anything. But I'm here." Maloney, 35, filed for divorce from Schwartz Tuesday, a week after the now-exes announced their split, PEOPLE confirmed. They were together for 12 years. Vanderpump Rules' Katie Maloney Says Being Able to 'Choose' Herself Is 'Most Empowering Moment' A source told PEOPLE earlier this month Maloney and Schwartz had been lacking "intimacy" in their relationship "for quite a while." "They act like terrific roommates," the insider explained, adding that the reality stars are still "a part of each other's lives" despite the breakup. However, when it came to their future, the source said the pair were looking for different things in their relationship, with Schwartz seeking "more flexibility with his life" and Maloney wanting "more of a traditional marriage." RELATED VIDEO: VPR's Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney Split After 12 Years Together: 'No Sides to Choose' Maloney shared more of what caused their split on a recent episode of her podcast You're Gonna Love Me. "The best and only way I can describe it is just like waking up inside of my life and having this voice that just became louder and louder, and just events in my life and our relationship coming into focus and feeling the weight of them on me," she said in part. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Adding that she wanted to "deny" and "push" the negative feelings surrounding her relationship with Schwartz "out of my head," Maloney said: "I love Tom, we built a life together, and he was my person and I wanted to be him with forever. But ultimately, I just wasn't happy." After spending some time with her thoughts, and not sharing them with anyone else, the Bravo star reiterated that the feelings she was experiencing "didn't stop." "It just became more clear, and I could just no longer deny it," she explained. "There were so many happy moments, even day-to-day. I love being with him, but ultimately, I was just not fulfilled." Vanderpump Rules' Katie Maloney Says Being Able to 'Choose' Herself Is 'Most Empowering Moment' She said telling Schwartz was "the hardest thing" as "I knew it was gonna crush him." Still, Maloney emphasized the importance of choosing her own happiness. "I had to really just start prioritizing myself and my happiness as well," she explained. "It just needed to happen." Schwartz and Maloney got married in 2016, though they did not file the official paperwork until 2019. Rumors of the couple's separation arose earlier in the week after Maloney was spotted on her Instagram without her wedding ring.