Vanderpump Rules star Katie Maloney reveals she received a great amount of support after it was revealed she had an abortion early on in her relationship with her now-husband, Tom Schwartz.
During Season 9 of the hit Bravo show, viewers watched as Katie and Tom struggled with their fertility. While several of their friends, including Stassi Schroeder, Brittany Cartwright, Lala Kent, and Scheana Shay all welcomed their first children last year, Katie and Tom were unable to expand their own family despite their greatest efforts.
However, according to Katie, after the episode aired she ended up receiving more support than she initially anticipated.
Reaction to Katie Maloney’s abortion story was ‘overwhelmingly positive’
While speaking with Page Six, Katie shared that she was worried about how her and Tom’s abortion story would be received. Thankfully, her worries were put to rest when many showed support for their experience.
“I didn’t know what kind of reaction I was going to get, but it’s been overwhelmingly positive,” she told the outlet.
She continued, “I could not even keep up with the amount of messages I was getting, people reaching out and sharing their own stories with me.”
It turns out that Katie’s moment of vulnerability struck a chord with many of her fans and followers who were grateful and inspired by her transparency.
“Empowering people to feel brave and not feel shameful and hearing those stories,” she added, “those were the most special [bits of feedback].”
Katie and Tom got real about their fertility struggles in Season 9 of Vanderpump Rules
The Vanderpump Rules cast experienced plenty of changes within the last year. Not only did several of the core cast end up leaving the show, but it also saw the expansion of four different VPR families.
Affectionately known as the Vanderpump Rules baby boom, Stassi, Lala, Brittany, and Scheana all welcomed their babies within four months of one another. And although Katie would have loved to have been part of the expansion, it wasn’t meant to be.
And as if their fertility struggles weren’t enough, Katie admitted that an intimate conversation with Lisa Vanderpump on the subject left her feeling invalidated.
“When I sit down and I’m talking to Lisa [Vanderpump] and she’s like, ‘Well, why are you guys going to see a fertility doctor? Did you even try?’ That question — I get where it was coming from; it’s coming from a good place. But it can feel very invalidating and invasive,” Katie shared during an episode of her You’re Gonna Love Me podcast.
“Because it’s like, ‘Yes, I tried. Of course, we tried.”
Katie and Tom continued to document their fertility journey throughout the season, including having Tom’s sperm analyzed. And despite rumors and questions about Katie potentially being pregnant around New Year’s, the couple has yet to announce if they’re expecting.
Vanderpump Rules airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Bravo.