Any Bravo fan knows that back in February 2024, something shifted during Tom Schwartz's appearance on Watch What Happens Live when the Vanderpump Rules star revealed, “I would say I'm not not dating...I'm hanging out, it's new, it's exciting.”
Not only were people shocked about Tom's confession after his divorce from fellow reality star Katie Maloney following their 12-year relationship (aaaaand his subsequent situationship with hairstylist Jo Wenberg), but fans (read: me) were also intrigued to know who this romance could possibly be with.
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Enter: Sophia Skoro, who people already kinda sorta knew about by the time of Tom's Watch What Happens Live convo given a video she uploaded of the two of them in a car just weeks prior (dw, we'll get to that in a sec!). But if you're still feeling nosy/need a refresher after your own extensive sleuthing, we've got ya covered!
Here's everything you need to know about Sophia, starting with the fact that...
She's an advertising associate
Yep, according to her LinkedIn profile, Sophia is currently an associate media planner and strategist for Publicis Groupe's Agency Zenith, where she's been working since December 2022. The main account she reportedly works on is TikTok and she “executes media and advertising plans by monitoring spending, managing budgets, and analyzing data.”
How-ev-er!!! In addition to her full-time job, Sophia *also* just so happens to run a vintage clothing store called Shop Sosko.
She graduated in 2022
Per Instagram ~context clues~, Sophia graduated from the University of Oregon in June 2022, where she got a degree in marketing. Soon after finishing college, she moved from Portland to Los Angeles in order to jump-start her career at Publicis Groupe.
She and Tom met at the VPR star's bar TomTom
During an April 2024 appearance on Nick Viall’s podcast The Viall Files, the reality star detailed his and Sophia's origin story, which apparently began after the University of Oregon grad made the first move at TomTom in the summer of 2023. “I was like, 'He's looking hot,' so I just told him,” Sophia recalled. “I simply just told him, and that was it.”
Tom then admitted that he got so nervous he legit left the bar. “I was with Kyle Chan and I told him, 'I just met the most beautiful human being I've ever laid eyes on,' but I had no intentions of going back,” he chimed. “And Kyle literally dragged me back to TomTom.”
After the two talked and exchanged numbers, they didn't actually hang out IRL for a couple of months until they went on a dinner date.
Interestingly enough, Tom wasn't expecting to find romance anytime soon—in fact, he actually made a “pledge” to himself to not get into another relationship for quite some time. “We actually met on a whim at TomTom,” he shared of their meet-cute. “It's funny, ironically at that moment I made a pledge, not only to myself but to the universe, that I will not hang out or date. I'm just gonna be single or work for the next two years. Official. And then I bumped into her.”
Good! To! Know!!!
He's not here for people critiquing their age gap
Despite Tom and Sophia having an 18-year age gap, the Schwartz & Sandy’s owner assured it doesn’t bother him during that same The Viall Files convo. “Honestly, if I was a lecherous old man trolling bars, like, seeking out young women, I think that would feel gross,” he said before adding, “But we just kind of bumped into each other. We hit it off.”
The reality star then revealed he sometimes feels “defensive” when people judge their age difference because “I don't like when they strip away a woman's agency.”
They're social media ~official~
Sophia first helped spark romance rumors when she posted a TikTok of herself and Tom in a car together back in February 2024.
Then, a month later in March of that year, she posted yet another vid of the two of them—this time, in a hotel room lip-syncing to a TikTok trend.
So, where do they stand today?
In a truly 👀 update during Tom and Sophia's April appearance on The Viall Files, it was revealed that the two were “almost” official. “I just want to be in the most perfect place,” the advertising associate shared. “I like to be very, at ease.”
Tom then added that he doesn't want to “put pressure” on Sophia and added that the two really “enjoy our time together.”
That! Said!!!! That doesn't mean these two don't have deep feelings for each other. In fact, the University of Oregon grad said that she and Tom “definitely love each other” during the podcast—a confession that prompted the Vanderpump Rules star to chime in and say, “Love you.” And who knows! These two just may have officially put a label on it in the weeks since their Viall Files convo. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Whelp! This has been an update. Def make sure to check back in for any and all intel on Tom and Sophia's 'ship!
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