Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd are being sued by former TomTom employees for wrongful termination.
Vanderpump, 63, and Todd, 78 allegedly fired bartenders from the restaurant in retaliation for complaining about the working conditions, according to documents obtained by Us Weekly. In the lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday, January 11, a former employee claimed Vanderpump and Todd “blacklisted” him by “defaming him to future employers.”
According to the unnamed individual, Vanderpump and Todd “[published] false statements and comments to numerous third parties” regarding his “profession, reputation and character.” The bartender claimed the rumors and false statements were made with “actual malice,” which affected his career.
The paperwork also alleged that TomTom had “unsafe work conditions” including “sewage and backup” in the employee break room. “During this period, [the former bartenders] experienced rampant violations of California labor laws, harassment and unsafe working conditions,” the documents claimed.
Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz, who are co-owners of the West Hollywood establishment, were not named in the lawsuit. TomTom has been featured heavily on Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules since Vanderpump and Todd went into business with their costars.
The couple previously opened SUR and Pump in the same area, but the latter has since merged with TomTom. Schwartz and Sandoval, both 41, also branched out with their Schwartz and Sandy’s hot spot, which has been open since November 2022.
One of Vanderpump’s many businesses previously made headlines when news broke that Pump temporarily lost its liquor license in March 2023. Us obtained a report from the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), which confirmed that the WeHo hotspot had its general eating license and its event permits suspended.
“We’ve been in the Pump location for 10 years, have a great relationship with the landlord, but the lease is expiring. So, over the next few months we will decide whether we are going to stay, but haven’t made a decision yet,” Vanderpump told Us in a statement at the time. “Come by and have a Pumptini.”
Pump has since closed its doors, but SUR, TomTom and the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden and Vanderpump à Paris in Las Vegas are open for business. The business owner’s chateau Vanderpump Villa is also set to be at the center of an upcoming Hulu spinoff series.
Us Weekly has reached out to Vanderpump and Todd for comment.
