Breakup blues. Ariana Madix is trying to be there for both of her friends — Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney — as they navigate their split after more than 10 years together.

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“I feel like it’s ups and downs,” the Vanderpump Rules star, 37, told Us Weekly exclusively on Wednesday, June 29, while promoting her new podcast, “Earth to Ariana.”

“Sometimes when I see [Schwartz], he seems really great and his normal self,” Madix revealed. “And then, of course, I’m sure he has some down times as well.”

The Fancy AF Cocktails author noted that the separation was “a big change” for both Schwartz, 39, and Maloney, 35, who first began dating in 2012 and tied the knot in 2017. “I can’t imagine what either of them are going through,” Madix explained. “They built a life together. So in some ways it’s exciting because it’s a new era, but in other ways, I’m sure it’s just difficult.”

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The former bartender, who has been with her other Pump Rules costar (and Schwartz BFF) Tom Sandoval since 2014, added that she was “shocked” by her friends’ breakup, which was announced on March 15.

“Tom and I, we argue over stupid stuff all the time,” she stated. “I feel like it’s so normal to see … I wouldn’t call it cracks, but it’s like, every relationship has its goods and its bads. It’s not easy being in a long-term relationship with someone, but I never thought — I never imagined that they would end it.”

Fans of the reality series can recall that a common issue with Schwartz and his estranged wife was how he seemingly took sides with his “work husband,” Sandoval, 38. Madix, however, saw things a little differently, considering Schwartz’s tendencies as a Libra to see all sides of a situation.

“I think that oftentimes — it’s not just Tom with Katie, it’s kind of every situation — he always tries to look at the other side,” the Florida native told Us. “[That] can be a really great quality to have, but when your significant other is really asking for you to see where they’re coming from and really have empathy for them and be there for them and you’re not doing that … that hurts.”

Although the marriage between her two closest pals didn’t work out, Madix still remains grateful that her friendships have stayed strong. She even spoke about having those friends on her new podcast, considering how they’ve “been through so much together.”

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“Because the show started filming everybody at a certain point in their lives, there’s a lot of history with the cast that people maybe don’t know about,” the Bravo personality revealed, hinting at certain topics she wants to dive into on her new show. “That’s the type of thing I would wanna ask them about.”

The newfound podcaster noted that the show was a project she’d been “working on for a long time,” inspired by a “desire to connect with people.”

“I’m fascinated by everyone,” she shared. “ I don’t know why there’s this divide — it just shouldn’t be that way. So, I wanna talk to everyone.”

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi

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