‘RHOBH’ star Ken Todd is being sued by the property owner for allegedly not paying the lease on the popular restaurant ‘P.U.M.P.’
According to legal documents, obtained by The Blast, the owner of the building that housed the famous West Hollywood hotspot, claims the famous couple — he is married to Lisa Vanderpump — owes back rent for over $250,000.
As you know, P.U.M.P is the prime location where Lisa’s reality show, Vanderpump Rules, is filmed and has become a destination for fans of the drama. In the filing, the company alleges Todd and the company which signed the lease owe a large amount in back rent and is trying to collect.
‘RHOBH’ Star Dragged To Court Over Past Rent For ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Hotspot
The company claims a deal was made with Todd to have PUMP “take occupancy of the Premises for purposes of operating a bar and restaurant for a base rent of $42,500.” The initial deal was struck in 2013. The restaurant became a regular fixture in Los Angeles, and “continued to occupy the Premises until on or about July 13, 2023, at which date PUMP surrendered possession of the premises.”
As we reported, P.U.M.P went out of business and the reality stars are facing other legal and financial problems with the restaurant. But, the property owner claims they still owned a huge amount of money. The lawsuit alleges the reality stars owe $250,000 in back rent – and that doesn’t cover late fees and other expenses.
In all, the company is asking for $950,000 in damages. It should be noted, at this point, Lisa Vanderpump is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit points out that Todd and his company allegedly refuse to turn over the liquor license for the restaurant. The company says the license alone is worth $150,000.
This isn’t the first time the famous couple has faced legal issues over money owed involving P.U.M.P. In May, Vanderpump was sued over the restaurant’s liability insurance. At the time, it was decided that the Pump restaurant owed the insurance company $338,656.43.
Vanderpump revealed she is closing the popular hotspot in West Hollywood. She released a statement, saying, “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that the lease at Pump Restaurant is expiring, and we will be closing its doors on July 5th, after 10 years of beautiful evenings under our olive trees.”
She continued, “While we have loved our time operating Pump, to take on another 10-year lease with a huge increase in rent by the landlords is not something we are ready to commit to, After successfully running 37+ establishments for many years, this type of rent is untenable.”
Lisa Vanderpump Opens Two New Restaurants In Las Vegas
It appears she isn’t far off by blaming the high rent for the establishment closing, because she is already landed in Las Vegas with the opening of two restaurants. “We’re also currently expanding our empire and will be opening two more restaurants with Caesars Palace,” she explained.
Well, the bottom line is that this case will need to be resolved before the reality stars go full-on sin city!
