The former employees claim that the couple fired them in retaliation for complaining about unsavory working conditions and 'blacklisted' one of the workers by 'defaming him to future employers.'
- Jan 12, 2024
AceShowbiz - Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd are sued for wrongful termination by ex-bartenders at the TomTom Restaurant & Bar. Court documents reveal the former employees claimed that the couple fired them in retaliation for complaining about unsavory working conditions.
Obtained by The Blast on Thursday, January 11, the documents saw one of the employees alleging that Lisa and Ken "blacklisted him by defaming him to future employers." The person further accused them of publishing "false statements and comments to numerous third parties" regarding his "profession, reputation and character," adding that the "rumors and false statements were made with actual malice."
The former workers went on to claim that TomTom, one of the couple's establishments in West Hollywood, Calif., had "unsafe work conditions" and that there was "sewage and backup in the employee break/locker room." The suit explained, "During this period, [the former bartenders] experienced rampant violations of California labor laws, harassment, and unsafe working conditions."
Representatives for Lisa and Ken have yet to comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit arrived weeks before season 11 of "Vanderpump Rules" is set to premiere on January 30 on Bravo. The upcoming season will mark the first since Tom Sandoval's cheating scandal involving his now-ex Ariana Madix and former co-star Rachel Leviss (Raquel Leviss).
Meanwhile, in related news to the Bravo show, Ariana recently blasted fellow cast member and Tom's best friend Tom Schwartz. During her appearance on Cosmopolitan's "Cheap Shots" video series released Wednesday, the "Dancing with the Stars" alum called him "completely useless" when she was asked to rank a series of co-stars she'd like to go with on a deserted island.
"I mean, there's one I don't want to be stuck with - at all," she said. "Tom Schwartz, I don't want there at all. Completely useless. No, thanks."
On the other hand, the newly minted Broadway performer revealed she would rely on former co-star Kristen Doute in that scenario. "OK, I think No. 1 would be Kristen because I feel like we would both be so set on making a plan and figuring things out," she shared. "So I feel like she would be a good person to have first."
"And then second, I would say [Scheana Shay] because I feel as though she would be trying to look on the bright side. And I feel like that would be a really nice thing as well to have when we're probably gonna die, right?" she explained. "And then Lala Kent, first of all, if she could just walk around naked, that would be great."
