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Lisa Vanderpump Sued by Former TomTom Employees and Accused of Wrongful Termination
Lisa Vanderpump and husband Ken Todd have been sued by two former TomTom bartenders who claim they were wrongfully terminated after complaining about unsafe workplace conditions. Fans want to know more about the lawsuit details.
Why Is Lisa Vandepump Being Sued?
The former employees worked at the West Hollywood, California, hotspot between May 2022 and December 2022. “During this period, [the former bartenders] experienced rampant violations of California labor laws, harassment, and unsafe working conditions,” according to the lawsuit paperwork, which was obtained by Us Weekly.
The exworkers said they complained to their bosses about “unsafe work conditions” and the presences of “sewage and backup in the employee break and locker room.” They claimed Lisa and Todd fired them after bringing forward the issues.
One of the bartenders alleged that the couple “blacklisted” him by “defaming him to future employers,” while also “publishing false statements and comments to numerous third parties” regarding his “profession, reputation and character.”
Are Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz Named in the Lawsuit?
As of this time they are not, as the two Vanderpump Rules stars are junior partners in TomTom, while Lisa and Todd are the majority owners.
When Did TomTom Open?
The restaurant and bar located on Santa Monica Boulevard officially opened on August 9, 2018, after several setbacks.
“I’m reeling and overjoyed, it’s a dream come true and I’m afraid I’m gonna wake up,” Schwartz told The Observer at the time.
He went on to explain, “Permitting is always a major issue. Opening day had had to fluctuate constantly, even though Ken and Lisa have all the best connections. And how expensive it is! Getting water and gas in West Hollywood is so bloody expensive. I was blown away when I saw the receipts.”
What Other Restaurants Does Lisa Vanderpump Own?
In addition to TomTom, Lisa is still the owner of West Hollywood hotspot SUR, where the majority of the action on Vanderpump Rules‘ earlier seasons took place. She opened the nearby restaurant Pump in 2014, but it was forced to close in July 2023.
In May 2023, Lisa explained why the eatery was shuttering despite still being quite popular with patrons. “It was purely a business decision,” she told Variety, adding that’s what also forced the closure of her former Beverly Hills restaurant, Villa Blanca, in 2020.
“With rents being $80,000 a month now, there’s just no way. That’s why we walked away from Villa Blanca and didn’t renew that lease, too,” she told the publication.
Outside of Los Angeles, Lisa owns the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden in Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace and plans to open a restaurant and bar at the Flamingo Hotel in 2024.
