
Vanderpump Rules star Lisa Vanderpump and her husband/business partner, Ken Todd, violated labor laws and failed to pay wages.
According to reports from The Daily Mail, a judge ordered the restaurateurs to pay a settlement of $490,000.
The lawsuit:
“The 2020 lawsuit was first filed by a former Pump server named Ernest Bennick. He claimed that Lisa and Ken violated several labor laws and failed to pay wages at the time of termination. He filed a lawsuit to get his money back and also to teach them a lesson.”
Ernest explained, “I feel that by bringing this lawsuit, I could stand up for not only my rights but the rights of other employees who suffered from the same unfair wage practices.”
“I felt that current employees might not want to share their experiences with [Ken and Lisa] since they feared losing their jobs.”
The delay in the lawsuit:
ICYMI, Pump shut down in 2023. That caused a delay in the lawsuit.
In an October 2023 filing, LVP’s lawyers argued that they couldn’t pay the settlement due to the restaurant’s closure. “They cited back rent and other obligations to their landlord.”
Ernest called Lisa and Ken out. Specifically, he clocked that the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum boasts a $90 million net worth.
He called her arguments “false” and “self-serving.”
Years later, the lawsuit moved forward, and a judge sided with the employees.
The Settlement Class includes Pump employees who worked at the restaurant from 2016 through 2022. In other words, there are some Vanderpump Rules cast members who might be getting a check in the mail.