The former The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump recently agreed to pay $250,000 to settle a lawsuit against her and her husband Ken Todd for not adequately compensating employees. Lisa and Ken made a splash on the Bravo series due to their highly successful restaurant empire. They own and operate numerous restaurants in Los Angeles, London, and Las Vegas. Many episodes of RHOBH followed the wives enjoying cocktails or lunch at these locations, and this eventually sparked the spin-off series, Vanderpump Rules.
The spin-off show follows several servers and bartenders from multiple Vanderpump-owned Los Angeles restaurants, and episodes teem with workplace drama and relationship ups and downs. The most notable restaurant locations are found in West Hollywood, including SUR, Pump, and Tom Tom. The latter bar and restaurant launched as a collaboration between Vanderpump Rules stars and junior partners Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz. For Lisa and Ken, the Vanderpump dynasty of 36 restaurants has been very lucrative throughout the years, and the couple decided to expand to cities outside of Los Angeles.
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Court documents obtained by Radar revealed that the ex-RHOBH housewife created an agreement after a class-action lawsuit was filed against her and Ken, which related to issues over employee wages. While Vanderpump Rules fans are accustomed to workplace drama, the allegations against Lisa and Ken extend farther than the lighthearted antics revealed on the Bravo series. Adam Antoine, a former employee of Lisa’s, filed the class-action suit against the married couple and their business Pinky Beverly Hills LLC in December 2019. Filing on behalf of himself and other former employees of Lisa’s, Antoine has accused the RHOBH couple of not paying their employees their wages, and not providing adequate meal breaks during their work shifts.
According to Antoine, these accusations have been an issue for numerous years, with Lisa allegedly refusing to officially answer the lawsuit against her. The suit accuses Lisa and Ken of manipulating and editing time cards to display fewer hours worked, and not providing State of California-sanctioned breaks. A total of 153 former Vanderpump employees are represented within the lawsuit, and all employees working under the couple since December 2015 are considered class members. On November 12, Antoine informed courts that he had finally settled with Lisa and Ken, using a mediator between the parties to avoid a potentially expensive trial. Even though Lisa and Ken deny the accusations and refuse to admit to violating any labor laws, the RHOBH stars agreed to pay a quarter of a million dollars to settle the case.
Fans of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills know that Lisa Vanderpump is a woman who always has a lot on her plate. Despite the restauranteur’s busy schedule, there is no excuse for potentially refusing to abide by Californian labor laws. While the management of each establishment might vary, dealing with any workplace issues is ultimately her and Ken’s responsibility. The hearing for the suit will continue in February when a judge determines if they will sign off on the settlement. While the settlement is likely fair, hopefully, the $250K is just the first step toward workplace change and improvement for the former RHOBH star.
Next: RHOBH: Lisa Vanderpump Faces Backlash For Opposing Raising Minimum Wage
