Vanderpump Rules is one of the most popular shows to come from the Bravo network. A spin-off of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the series follows Lisa Vanderpump and the staff at her businesses. These include SUR Restaurant & Lounge, Pump Restaurant, and Tom Tom Restaurant & Bar, all located in West Hollywood, California.
The series has introduced many different stars of reality television to the public. One of the stars known for appearing on the show is Katie Maloney. She has kept fans’ attention throughout her marriage and divorce from Tom Schwartz. She has also recently confirmed rumors she was dating musician Nick Martin.
However, the recent news of Katie’s father passing away has placed her in the spotlight for a different reason. She has received support from friends and fans alike. She even shared her own thoughts on her father in a moving tribute on Instagram.
Katie Maloney Posted A Sweet Tribute To Her Late Father On Instagram
Katie Maloney recently suffered a devastating loss when her father, Rich Maloney, passed away in January. The Vanderpump Rules star posted a loving tribute to her late father on Instagram and let followers know how she was doing. “I feel like I am a stranger to grief,” Katie wrote next to a photo of her hugging her father. “As much as it has touched my life and so many I love. It’s not something I have become comfortable or well acquainted with.”
“This last Sunday, my father passed away,” she continued. “Since I have been met with a variety of emotions, numbness, peace, complete udder sadness and even at times guilt. My dad was everyone’s favorite, he was so charming, made everyone feel welcome and comfortable. We shared the love of dad jokes and he had an endless supply.”
Katie included pictures from a recent family vacation to Salt Lake City, Utah alongside her tribute. “He was always so supportive of my brothers and I growing up and as adults championed our endeavors,” she wrote. “I cannot smell Irish spring without immediately thinking about him, how the scent almost covered up the smell of wheel grease from his job. It’s a core memory that I have always held and hold closer now.”
During the family’s time of grief, Katie has said that she is taking time to focus on all the private memories she has made with her father over the years.
“Dad, I love you forever, thank you for the million laughs, for the father-daughter dances throughout life and for the love you gave us,” she wrote.
Fans Of Katie Sent Well-Wishes And Shared Their Own Experiences On Reddit
Fans of Vanderpump Rules sent Katie plenty of well-wishes in her comment section. There was even a Reddit thread, where fans were showing Katie support. One person wrote, “Oh how sad. Nothing hurts like being without a parent. Sending love to Katie and her family.” Another commented, “The dead parents club is the worst club to be a part of 😔 So sorry 🙏🏼”
Some were even sharing their own experiences of losing a parent. There was one fan who shared, “I lost my mom(61) three years ago. Completely out of blue. She went to lay down in my daughters bed and within 20min I had her on the ground trying my best but failing at cpr.”
Someone responded, “I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my nan 4 years ago from cancer and then 13 days later I lost my mum. She went to bed and told my dad she was going to be with her mum now and she had a massive heart attack. My sister gave her cpr for 45 mins waiting on an ambulance to arrive, they ended up getting my mum back 8 times before they eventually stopped.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss. My mom passed three years ago from MS,” someone shared, “and it’s incredibly hard. Sending you hugs.” A user replied, “😩 I have an aunt who has suffered from MS for maybe 20 years now. These people are warriors. Sending you ❤️”
One user shared a thought regarding other members of the Vanderpump Rules universe, writing, “So many vpr have lost their dads young. So sad 😢” Another wrote, “honestly tear jerking and i hope the whole family has support.” Someone else commented, “I am so sorry for her loss. Losing your dad is hard and I’m still recovering 7 years on.”
Katie’s Bravo Family Sent Her Support And Her Brother Shared His Memories Of Their Father
It wasn’t just the fans who were sending Katie their support, she received plenty of love from her Bravo family as well. “Sending you love ❤️,” Janet Caperna, from The Valley, commented. Amanda Batula, from Summer House, wrote, “So sorry for your loss Katie 🤍🤍🤍🤍.” “i love you 🖤”, former Vanderpump Rules castmate Dayna Kathan added, while comedian Hannah Berner wrote, “Katie ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I’m so sorry.” Ariana Madix’s boyfriend Daniel Wai left a comment with heart and prayer hands emojis.
Rocky Maloney, Katie’s brother, paid tribute to his father on the social media app as well. “My heart hurts so bad writing this. My Father, Rich Maloney, Passed away on Sunday 1/05/25,” he wrote alongside various pictures of his father through the years. “He was such an amazing person, dad, and friend. Not the best jokes but I still love him for them and I will miss hearing them.”
According to Rocky, his father would always show up for him regardless of the situation. “He was at every football practice, every game either home or away. He was always there for me. Anyone who knew him knew he had an infectious personality, even though he seemed to complain about everything.”
“Dad, I will think about you everyday,” he continued. “I will always look at my phone waiting for our daily phone call to talk sports. I will listened to all the voicemails you left. I will miss you so much. I Love You Dad. You are with God now. Please watch over me and guide be to be a good father like you. If anyone has stories they remember please share, I’d love to hear them !”
Katie clearly had a very close relationship with her family. When she was married to Tom Schwartz, her family’s dynamic with him was closely examined in Vanderpump Rules. During an episode of the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, Katie opened up about her mother’s relationship with Tom. She was asked if her mother held a special place in her heart for Tom.
“She tries I think, but like not really,” Katie said. “You know it’s just my family in general watching the show, is having a really difficult time stomaching him because they’ve you know loved and knew him for years,” she explained. “But watching it, they’re like ‘I don’t know this person.’ And it angers them just to see him be so disrespectful and gross.”
Following her breakup with Tom, Katie opened up to Us Weekly about the split. At the time, the couple were still living together, despite having been separated for a month prior to the announcement.
“It’s been the best case scenario I could possibly imagine or hope for. We’re still figuring out the next steps, I don’t think we’re going to live together forever,” she said. “This past month has just been us having a lot of discussions and processing all the emotions along the way.”
During the chat, Katie also reflected on what led to the end of their marriage. “There wasn’t some crazy fight that resulted in this. It was my decision, which was probably the hardest and most painful decision I’ve ever had to make. But [it was] the best and only way I can describe it is just waking up and having this voice that just became louder and louder,” she said. “[Also] just events in my life and in our relationship coming into focus and feeling the weight of them on me.”
She continued, “I wanted to push them out of my head because I love Tom. We have built a life together, he was my person and I wanted to be with him forever. But ultimately, I just wasn’t happy. For a long time, I sat with it. I thought about it and I didn’t talk to anyone about it for a long time. I wanted to know, if it was just something else that was making me feel this way [and] that it was coming from a different place.”
