What do we know about Vanderpump Rules' Villa Blanca sexual discrimination lawsuit? The restaurant is currently closed down with no hopes of reopening.
Lisa Vanderpump's restaurant Villa Blanca has closed. The restaurant from Vanderpump Rules went into financial trouble after it lost a sexual discrimination case a few years ago. Villa Blanca is now boarded up with a handwritten note taped to the door, indicating the restaurant is closed — for good. Vanderpump helped make The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills a household name and shined while on the hit franchise since its launch in 2010. During 2019, however, the restaurant owner and former actress abruptly decided she would be leaving the much-loved show behind after numerous fallouts with the rest of the women. The fan-favorite was known for her over-the-top mansion that looked like Barbie’s Dream House and her tiny dogs she loved like children. Villa Blanca was often featured on the franchise as a meeting place for the women who lunched.
Many Bravo fans were not fully aware that the restaurant had been included in multiple lawsuits. The first lawsuit took place back in 2012 according to Grub Street and involved a dishwasher named Ricardo Velasso who sued Blanca LLC, Ken Todd, and Lisa Vanderpump for breach of faith of covenant of good faith, fair dealing, disability discrimination, failure to provide reasonable accommodation, failure to engage in good faith interactive practices, wrongful termination, retaliation, failure to pay wages, and violation of business and professions code. Okay, that was a mouthful. In total, the dishwasher filed eight causes of action. The plaintiff asked for general, specific, and punitive damages. Todd and Vanderpump were eventually dropped as defendants because the restaurant was capable of paying out the damages. Villa Blanca’s attorney denied any wrongdoing and claimed the statute of limitations had expired.
In 2014, a former waitress filed a complaint regarding a hostile work environment in civil court. It took two years, but a jury ended up awarding the plaintiff punitive damages based on evidence that was presented. The local Beverly Hills restaurant was said to be painted over with white paint so no pedestrian would be able to see inside. There was a sign on the door letting patrons know that the restaurant was being renovated. It appears that the couple has decided to end their ties with the restaurant even though they were getting rent concessions due to the pandemic. Neighbors of the restaurant have suggested that Vanderpump could no longer afford the rent after leaving the franchise, while others bluntly told the outlet that Todd had an immense amount of debt.
The British native was sued on December 16 by a former employee, Adam Pierce Antoine, when he filed a class-action lawsuit against her. The lawsuit included several other former employees in which they accused Vanderpump and her husband of having violated multiple California labor laws. The papers allege that the couple has been violating these laws for over four years. The court documents also show that Vanderpump failed to pay out wages which included overtime when the former employees worked for her at TOM TOM, SUR, Villa Blanca, and Pump.
Fans are currently worried that Vanderpump Rules could be canceled. If this were to happen, the couple’s debt issues could prove to be devastating. Furthermore, the dust is still settling after the fallout from Bravo cleaning house. Even though one of the Vanderpump restaurants may be closed fans can still get the famous goat cheese balls at SUR.
Source: Grub Street