America’s favourite reality TV dramas from both sides of the spectrum—Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules and Peacock’s Love Island USA—may be off-air for the moment, but the offscreen tea is exceptionally piping hot with an unforeseen crossover, possibly all thanks to Ariana Madix.
The Bravo reality star jumped the VPR ship earlier this year to land her next gig as the host of Love Island USA Season 6. After suffering through the Scandoval-shaped emotional trauma, Madix found her next reality TV calling as the best host of the Peacock dating series’.
In return, street chatter has also led several American outlets to believe that her Love Island credits have seemingly played the matchmaker for her VPR BFF Katie Maloney. Could Madix’s costar have found love again in her post-Tom Schwartz phase?
White, it may be a tad bit too soon to say the L-word, but Us Weekly has reasons to believe that Maloney is supposedly active on the dating scene with her new hook-up with Love Island USA islander Connor Newsum.
The match made in reality TV heaven was spotted at Laurel Tavern, a restaurant in Studio City, California, on Tuesday, July 31.
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The outlet’s source claims Katie, 37, and Connor, 28, were seen together, dining at a table in the corner. They didn’t forget to mention how “amazing” Maloney looked at this outing.
The unexpected reality TV crossover has many wondering if Katie’s best friend Madix could have helped set this low-key date up following her return from Fiji. Love Island enthusiasts would also remember that Maloney was actually a guest on the show Love Island USA: Aftersun.
Katie Maloney and Connor Newsum’s brief history on the reality TV front
While their match seems to be something that probably merely blew in with the wind, the duo seemed cosy during their outing. Even minus the seriousness of the issue, as seems to be the case, they both have their share of history on the love front.
While Connor, who was eliminated from Love Island USA early on, has previously made connections with JaNa Craig and Leah Kateb, neither of these stuck to the end of time. Following his departure from the show, Newsum told Us Weekly that he had been in contact with Cass Laudano and made “some light plans”, and they seemed to get on well due to “a lot of similar interests.”
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As for Katie, VPR fans know she had tied the knot with Tom Schwartz. However, their 6-year marriage ended with their divorce in 2022. Eventually, she admitted their connection and romance had undoubtedly withered away despite her love for him.
Recalling how that relationship made her feel, Maloney said, “I never felt prioritized. He didn’t really have my back or defend me or make me feel supported or heard. I just wanted that validation from him. So I made myself smaller in ways. I lost myself. I was a shell of a woman.”
She added, “It took me working on myself in general — not really because of all of that — but I wasn’t feeling great in my body and in general. I wanted to boost my own confidence and just started working on myself.”
While there’s no saying where the Katie Maloney—Connor Newsum train is headed, it does seem that the VPR star is putting herself out there and may not have entirely turned her back on the possibility of a new love on the horizon.
