Lisa Vanderpump's Transformation From Child Actor To Bravo Icon
The following article references domestic abuse and suicide.
Reality television queen, restauranteur, and animal lover Lisa Vanderpump needs no introduction; she wears many hats and all of them are haute couture. However, it seems as if Vanderpump did not always believe in the power of her charisma. In an interview with Locale, she confessed, "Oh, I don't think I'm interesting. I don't fight or squabble. I see the funny side of everything." And that's exactly the persona that made her so popular on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" — the fact that she does all of the above with a considerable amount of style. From her posh accent to her acid quips, Vanderpump has endeared herself to audiences worldwide and has become a household name.
But before Vanderpump crossed the Atlantic to start a new life in the United States, she had a fascinating life with more humble beginnings. Yes, darling, there was a time when she wasn't all high-end fashion, restaurants, and Pomeranian pups. It took a lot of work to create LV as we know her, and the receipts prove she's Scrooge McDuck-ing all the way to the bank. Let's delve a little deeper into her background and find out how she managed to work her way to the top, one pedicured foot at a time.
Lisa Vanderpump was in an Oscar-winning movie
Lisa Vanderpump prepared for a life on the stage from an early age. As she told Daily Express, she began ballet classes at the tender age of 3 and, when the opportunity presented itself, transitioned to a school of the arts. Not only was she trained to be on the stage, but she was also book-smart. "I was advanced for my age, always a year ahead at school," Vanderpump shared with the outlet. "When I was too young to go to high school, rather than repeat a year, at nine I went to the Corona Academy drama school, and ended up staying for eight years."
Even as a tween, her drive could not be denied. Vanderpump told Heather McDonald on the "Juicy Scoop" podcast, "I was really together. I kind of very much believed in a strong work ethic. I had a job since I was like 13, you know?" She was cast to play the role of Glenda Jackson's movie daughter in 1973's "A Touch of Class." Jackson went on to receive an Oscar for her performance in that very film. Talk about an exciting start to Vanderpump's career. The future Bravolebrity soon had offers pouring in. She told Daily Express, "I did over 100 commercials for brands like Maltesers, Lilt, Britvic 55, and Hamlet cigars, so by 19 I'd bought myself a flat in Fulham."
The rapidly rising star of Lisa Vanderpump
Young Lisa Vanderpump was spoilt for choice as the work streamed in. After appearing in a movie that earned Glenda Jackson her second Academy Award, Vanderpump's acting abilities were cast in the spotlight. It also appeared that her earlier decision to go to drama school, per Daily Express, stood her in good stead and she was seemingly prepared for a life on the stage.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal about her time as a child actor, LVP revealed that she and Naomi Campbell were both on the series "Kids." She divulged that even as an 8-year-old "Naomi was always very forthright for her age." Vanderpump went on to describe the model as a "little spitfire." "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alum's other acting credits as a child star include "John Halifax, Gentleman," two episodes in a series called "Katy," and a horror movie called "Killer's Moon." In her late teens, she played the role of Ursula in "The Wildcats of St. Trinian's" and continued to be cast in several small roles. In the '90s, she even appeared in "Silk Stalkings," "Baywatch Nights," and "Separate Lives." And when Vanderpump wasn't acting in TV programs, she stayed busy with music videos and ad spots. As she told the Daily Express, "I did over 100 commercials for brands like Maltesers, Lilt, Britvic 55, and Hamlet cigars."
Lisa Vanderpump was in an abusive relationship
As Lisa Vanderpump's career continued to pick up steam thanks to her various roles in TV shows, music videos, and advertisements, she found herself in a volatile relationship. Talking to Daily Express about an abusive ex, she recalled, "He grabbed me by the neck and I thought: 'OK, I'm done!' I thought he wasn't going to change, and got out as quickly as I could."
She's opened up about this past relationship before. When host Andy Cohen asked about this piece of her life story at The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" Season 6 reunion, she replied, "I was 19, and I was threatened and physically hurt." In a Bravo blog entry, she shared, "I have encountered abuse myself at the hands of an ex-boyfriend many years ago. It would seem redundant for me, personally, to relive that traumatic time." Vanderpump also wrote that she feels lucky that she "had the strength to walk away" from the situation. "Many don't have the resources or opportunity to leave, and I am thankful to be in a loving, secure relationship with a man who is my protector, rather than aggressor," she said.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd's whirlwind romance
When you know, you know — at least that seems to be Lisa Vanderpump's experience. The reality star met Ken Todd when she was just 21 years old. Their meeting wasn't the typical boy-meets-girl setup since she was trying to get rid of him the first time she saw him. As she recalled to Daily Express, their paths first crossed when she was working the front door at a nightclub. She tried to turn Todd away from the establishment, but only to later discover that he was the club's owner. Oops. Luckily, it seems as if Todd was the forgiving sort and the misunderstanding was cleared up.
Sparks flew when she played chauffeur later that evening. "That night I drove him and my brother home, and Ken said: 'Give me your number. Actually, better not, because I might fall in love with you," she told the outlet.
Todd's remark proved prescient. As Vanderpump shared with Daily Express, "In six weeks were engaged, and three months later we were married, to the disbelief of everyone that knew him, shaking their heads as we walked down the aisle." They tied the knot in August 1982 and are still by each other's side. What an epic love story.
Motherhood came easy for Lisa Vanderpump
Lisa Vanderpump told Bella Magazine that she and Ken Todd "have this relationship where we can do anything or go anywhere together." However, when her mother-in-law began peppering her with questions about when they would give up their nomadic lifestyle and have children, she let her know that she was living life on her terms. "I told her I don't want to stop playing, I just found someone to play with, and together this is how we looked at life," Vanderpump said in the aforementioned interview.
The couple welcomed their eldest, Pandora Vanderpump Sabo, in 1986, but during her pregnancy, Vanderpump was filled with some trepidation about the future. "I remember saying to Ken when I was pregnant, we won't be able to do this or we won't be able to do that," she told Bustle. However, things rapidly changed once she held her precious newborn in her arms. "I actually took to motherhood really easily," she said.
"I remember thinking when they first handed Pandora to me, 'Well, what am I going to do with this?' But as soon as I cuddled her, I thought, 'What would I do without her?'" she shared with the outlet. Vanderpump revealed that she "became one of those obsessive mothers" and "was very hands-on" while raising her two children. "I was brought up without a tactile relationship and very British, so I wanted the exact opposite [for my kids]," she said.
Lisa Vanderpump's family grew and they moved to the States
The Vanderpump-Todd household expanded with the arrival of baby Max Todd. As Lisa Vanderpump wrote in her Bravo blog in 2015, "This was a deep and poignant story, a story that started 22 years ago when we went to visit him in his foster care home. We traveled and landed in the snowy city and met this little boy who would soon be our son." Vanderpump and Ken Todd decided to grow their family by adoption rather than have another biological child. "We had always thought that we would adopt a couple of children," she said. Their eldest child was equally excited about the new addition. As Vanderpump dished, "Pandora was six and very much believed he would be her baby."
According to Bella Magazine, the family moved to Los Angeles and were living in the city with their young children when disaster struck. Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, LVP was ready for a serious change of scenery. "It scared the life out of me; I've never been so terrified," she told the outlet. "I could not believe what we had just experienced." The natural disaster had the Vanderpump-Todd family packing their bags and heading back to England in a hurry.
Lisa Vanderpump returned to England
After returning to England with their family, Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd continued to expand their empire. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, the two "went on to open 30 restaurants, bars and clubs in the city over two decades," and their customer list included celebrities like George Michael and Elton John. THR reported that they later sold some of their establishments and raked in a hefty sum.
Vanderpump and Todd raised their two children in what Bella Magazine described as "an old romantic manor house situated on 100 acres of beautiful land." As LVP shared in a Bravo blog post, she always made an effort to balance work and parenthood. "Their childhood was idyllic, full of ponies and dogs, extraordinary experiences coupled with tactile relationships and wonderful holidays, parents that loved the experience, parents that vowed never to disturb the harmonious life they had by involving our problems," she wrote. "I was very involved with my children's education, even worked in their school in France a few days a week for three years, and I wouldn't change a minute of it."
Surprisingly, the Vanderpump-Todds led very private lives while living in London. "That was the antithesis of the life we live now," LVP told THR. "We had two young children, we were in the country half the time." According to The Evening Standard (via THR), Ken Todd and Lisa Vanderpump were "clubland's most private power couple."
Lisa Vanderpump joined forces with SUR
The Golden State beckoned to Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd once again and they made a move that would change their lives forever. The Vanderpump-Todds packed up and headed back to Los Angeles after Pandora Vanderpump Sabo decided she would attend Pepperdine University. "We understood as the children became older that there were windows of opportunity where we could get up and move, but when kids go off to college and make lifelong friends, roots are firmly planted," she told Bella Magazine. It was seemingly wiser for them to follow the kids and travel as they wished, and still be a part of their lives.
The couple also knew they needed to secure their visa and took a chance on a small restaurant called SUR, per The Hollywood Reporter. Co-owner Nathalie Pouille-Zapata gave Wehoville the inside scoop about how it all went down. "Guillermo [Zapata] called me and said, 'I just met this couple. They are fabulous and they want to be our partners,'" she dished. "'This lady even told me she has the money inside her purse right here on the patio,'" she continued. That night, a heavily pregnant Nathalie and Guillermo Zapata went to Vanderpump and Todd's home. "So, we shook hands that day and started developing," she said. And the 400-strong capacity SUR was born.
Lisa Vanderpump joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Before shooting "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Lisa Vanderpump had some reservations about becoming a reality TV personality. "My first fear when I signed up to do 'Housewives' was my son was 18 and I said, 'You know, it really does worry me that maybe this family would come forward,'" she shared on "The Jenny McCarthy Show." "I said, 'I want to be very sensitive about that.'"
What's more, Bella Magazine noted Vanderpump was hesitant because she was not too familiar with "The Real Housewives" universe and wasn't sure how she'd fit in. The former actor shared with Locale Magazine that she believed she wasn't "interesting" enough for the series. "I don't fight or squabble," she told the outlet. "I see the funny side of everything." However, LVP was soon cast on the first season of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and the rest is history.
Vanderpump soon became one of the most beloved cast members of all time — TV Inside ranked her 10th despite leaving the franchise — with her famous one-liners and classy mannerisms. Can you imagine a version of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" where viewers never got to watch Lisa Vanderpump chase miniature horses around Villa Rosa? One shudders at the thought.
Spinning off with Vanderpump Rules
Becoming a standout on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" not only made Lisa Vanderpump a household name and a regular on the talk show circuit but also opened the door to new opportunities. The first of these was the offer to headline her own spinoff series called "Vanderpump Rules," which made its Bravo debut in 2013.
Not only was her name in the title, but she also had a firm presence behind the scenes, as one of the series' creators and executive producers. Despite the title, however, "Vanderpump Rules" was less about her own personal drama than that of the young staffers who worked at her Hollywood restaurant, SUR, and became the actual focus of the show. Initially, the cast included SUR's bartenders and wait staff, a telegenic crew that included Stassi Schroeder, Jax Taylor, Katie Maloney, Tom Sandoval, Kristen Doute, Scheana Shay, and Tom Schwartz. Because they all knew each other well, worked together closely, and were already integrated into each other's lives, both on and off the job, Vanderpump saw a situation that was already rife with drama — all she had to do was get cameras to film it. "I knew and I chose these people," she told Time of casting the show. "I knew the stakes would be high because their friendships were real."
Once again, Vanderpump's instincts were right on the money. "Vanderpump Rules" became a solid hit for Bravo. In January 2024, the series returned for its 11th season.
She tripped the light fantastic on Dancing With the Stars
The same year that "Vanderpump Rules" premiered, Lisa Vanderpump's takeover of reality television continued when she was one of the celebs selected to compete on "Dancing with the Stars."
In true Vanderpump fashion, her exit from "DWTS" was laced with drama. Having fallen ill, she fainted during a rehearsal and had been vomiting in her trailer. Nevertheless, she insisted on soldiering on and took to the dance floor with partner Gleb Savchenko. Sadly, that performance resulted in her elimination from the show. "I'm really happy. It's been six long weeks — boy, has it taken its toll," she told co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet, as reported by Today. "It's been the hardest thing I've ever done."
After it was all over, Vanderpump revealed that she hadn't been able to put her full focus on dancing, due to her various other commitments, and quickly realized she'd stretched herself too thin. "Also the last time I danced was 35 years ago!" she wrote In a blog post for Bravo. "But it was an honor to be asked and I loved it ... But yes it was, at 52, extremely challenging." Still, she was proud of what she'd accomplished during her time on the show. "I ultimately did five dances and three weeks rehearsal, a total of eight weeks," she said. "It was an incredible experience and I don't regret a second of it."
Editor-in-Chief Lisa Vanderpump founds a dog foundation
When you've got the kind of street cred that Lisa Vanderpump has, you can do anything. It's little wonder that in 2017 she was tapped for a new position at a publication. According to Bravo, she said, "I have always loved being a part of Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine, and to be asked to be editor-in-chief is not only an honor but a delight." The glamour queen then added, "The magazine has always been the epitome of luxury." Her daughter, Pandora Vanderpump Sabo, was named the magazine's executive editor. The following year, Vanderpump left the editor-in-chief post.
As if she wasn't busy enough, Vanderpump also founded the Vanderpump Dog Foundation in 2017 after learning about the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. "It's really important to me," the reality star told Time, "my fight against Yulin." The Vanderpump Dog Foundation also started a rescue organization based in Los Angeles.
In 2019, Vanderpump opened up to People about her hopes for the foundation. "I hope that will be my legacy," she shared. "I just want to keep drawing attention to [the cause] and to rescue dogs. They are so grateful for a chance at a second life," she shared. Her love for animals has been one of the reasons so many feel drawn to her. Talk about making a positive change.
Lisa Vanderpump lost her mother and brother
2018 and 2019 would go down as one of the hardest periods of Lisa Vanderpump's life. Her world came crashing down when her brother Mark Vanderpump died by suicide. She told the Daily Mail that she had been in contact with Mark the day before he died. "He was my only sibling and I am shocked and saddened by his passing. I am trying to be supportive to his two young sons that he has left behind, and help them get through this tragedy," she stated.
She told People that she "was in a very dark place" after her brother's death. "I was crying every single day. And I spent months just staring at the walls." Opening up about the loss on "Vanderpump Rules," she said, "Obviously it just being the two of us, we were more like twins. It's been incredibly difficult, but we have to keep moving forward and make the people that were so important in our lives proud as they watch down over us."
A year later, Lisa was hit by another tragedy when her mother Jean Vanderpump also died. Entertainment Tonight reported that the TV personality was "shocked and devastated." She took to Twitter to honor her mother and wrote, "As you go to RIP with Mark, mummy. A tragic year for sure." E! News revealed that the reality star took a break from filming "Vanderpump Rules" after Jean's death.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The Beverly Hills Housewives bid Lisa Vanderpump farewell
Lisa Vanderpump announced that she was quitting "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in 2019 following the "Puppygate" drama. "I was tearful most days filming Housewives last season. The whole cast ganged up on me, and I was just weary," she told Daily Express. The restaurant mogul was also not afraid to tell her side of the story to People. "I had a great time on 'Housewives,'" Lisa divulged. "But to have negativity during a time in my life when I needed to try to be positive ... I decided it was over." Lisa parted ways with the series shortly after the death of her older brother, Mark Vanderpump.
Lisa shared that this wasn't the first time that her castmates had turned against her. "But this time, our foundation was taking a bashing from the women, and it didn't deserve it," she said in People, noting that she felt that the Vanderpump Dog Foundation was being unfairly attacked and she wasn't standing for it. Lisa continued, "And suddenly, to start dealing with them all screaming and shouting at me on that first trip [to the Bahamas], I thought, 'What the hell am I doing?' And that was really it." The queen left the show, and it may have been the best decision for her at the time. As she once said, "I'm passionate about dogs, just not crazy about b****es." Preach, Lisa, preach.
Lisa Vanderpump said goodbye to Giggy
At the end of 2020, Lisa Vanderpump shared the news that Giggy, one of her beloved Pomeranians, had died. The pup was a fixture of both "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and "Vanderpump Rules" shows, and was nearly always in Vanderpump's arms, if not in someone else's. In her Instagram tribute to Giggy, she shared three photos of the pooch where he was dressed to the nines.
"We are devastated to say that our beloved Giggy has passed away this morning. He was truly loved, and we know how many of you loved him too," she stated. "Our sweet Gigolo was such an incredible, unique dog, but mainly, because of him, we started The Vanderpump Dog Foundation and embarked on our mission to save as many dogs as possible," she shared, before adding, "He inspired us to start our work in rescue, and for that we will always be grateful. Giggy's legacy will live on, through every dog @vanderpumpdogs saves."
Speaking about the pup on an episode of "Radio Andy," Andy Cohen said, "Giggy really made people happy. I'm saying that with no irony or anything. Giggy truly was the mascot of Bravo ... and was such a superstar." Giggy, and his lavish outfits, will certainly be missed.
She hosted her own talk show with Overserved
Of course, it was not long before fans saw Lisa Vanderpump pick herself up again. In February 2021, word got out that the multihyphenate had scored a new series. The trailer for "Overserved with Lisa Vanderpump" spelled out the premise: In each 30-minute episode, Vanderpump would welcome a group of celebrities into her home, Villa Rosa, and treat them to a lavish dinner.
She told Us Weekly that the show was inspired during the pandemic. She had been "cooking up a storm" during this time and when producers asked her, "If we gave you a camera, what would you do?" With that, she came up with the concept of entertaining stars at her home. "Everything was homegrown," Vanderpump revealed. "I wanted to make a show that was the most gorgeous show that you would stop, you would press the remote and go back, [like], 'I want to see what that is again.'" The series premiered on E! on March 18, 2021, and audiences watched Vanderpump dine with a roster of stars that included Steve-O, Margaret Cho, Trixie Mattel, Sheryl Underwood, and Lance Bass.
The ratings were not great. In its debut, "Overserved" attracted just 353,000 viewers, ranking as cable's 35th most-watched show. The following week, it dropped to 106th. While E! never announced that the show was officially canceled, the fact that there's been no news of a second season as of early 2024 indicates it may never arrive.
Her rescue dog foundation has generated some lawsuits
Lisa Vanderpump's dog foundation, as well-intentioned as it may be, has not gone without controversy. For example, in 2020 the Vanderpump Dog Foundation was sued by former employee Victoria Guzman. In her suit, Guzman alleged she'd been sexually harassed on the job, and then felt she had no option other than quitting when her superiors ignored her complaints. "Plaintiff worked for Defendant as a dog groomer for approximately two months until she was forced to resign in or about late July 2019 because of the intolerable working conditions created by her manager, Martin Duarte, and his superiors," Guzman claimed in the lawsuit, reported RadarOnline. Guzman subsequently dropped the lawsuit.
The foundation was sued again in 2021. This time, the plaintiff was a woman who'd adopted a dog from the Vanderpump Dog Foundation in 2019. According to her suit, she claimed she'd been assured the puppy she'd adopted had received all its required vaccinations and medical treatment. Shortly after returning home with her new pet, however, she took the dog to a veterinary hospital, where the animal was discovered to have a worm infection. To make matters worse, she herself was subsequently diagnosed with intestinal parasites, which were passed to her by the dog.
She alleged that the foundation provided her with falsified records of the dog's immunization, and a bogus certificate stating her new pet had been dewormed. The foundation ultimately ended the matter with an out-of-court settlement.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Another TV series with Vanderpump Dogs
Lisa Vanderpump combined her love of dogs with her talent for reality TV in "Vanderpump Dogs", a new series that launched in the summer of 2021 on the Peacock streaming service. The series was essentially spawned by the work done at her Vanderpump Dog Foundation, taking viewers inside the process as dogs are adopted from her rescue facility. In addition to Vanderpump — who played an active role in the series' adoptions — the cast of characters also included Dr. Andrew Y. Kushnir, the foundation's in-house veterinarian, dog groomers Brian Marshall and Patrick Miller-Wren, trainer Madeline Quint, communications director Kendall Young, and social media/marketing maven Summer Loftis.
"It's about basically finding the right dog for the right person, or the right person for the right dog. And it's beautiful, poignant, heart-wrenching, happy, funny, but sometimes sad," Vanderpump told Bravo Insider of the show's premise. As she explained, the series demonstrated to viewers how the dogs are rehabilitated after being rescued, and are then found permanent homes. "And it's just such a feel-good factor in the show," she added. "It's so beautiful to watch — and if you love dogs as much as I do. But it's about human emotional stories as well and what the dogs mean to the people and what the people mean to the dogs."
Six episodes were produced, but it seems unlikely there will be more as the last one aired in 2021 with no news of renewal.
Vanderpump Rules ratings soared in season 10 thanks to Scandoval
Just before "Vanderpump Rules" returned with its 10th season in 2023, a scandal erupted due to some off-camera shenanigans involving three members of the cast. According to reports, Tom Sandoval cheated on his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix with Raquel Leviss, who was one of her closest friends. Sandoval's infidelity — dubbed "Scandoval" by the media — made countless headlines, drawing more attention to the show than it had ever received. Because the season had been taped amid the affair, viewers watched intently to see if they could pick up on clues hinting at the cheating. Inconveniently for Sandoval — but a heaven-sent bonus for the show's producers — the reunion show was scheduled to be taped just two weeks after the news first emerged, pretty much guaranteeing the kind of reality show drama not seen since Teresa Giudice taught the Real Housewives of New Jersey how to unset a table.
"I would say it's a producer's dream but talent's nightmare," Vanderpump said of the situation while appearing at Variety's Entertainment Marketing Summit. "It was almost akin to 'Friends,' like [if] Chandler and Phoebe suddenly [started] shagging," she added.
When the dust settled, the 10th season of "Vanderpump Rules" racked up monster ratings, with the season watched by a staggering 11.4 million viewers. The first reunion episode drew an audience of 4.6 million — the highest-rated episode of any Bravo series in nearly a decade, and the most-watched "Vanderpump Rules" episode in the series' history.
Her restaurant Pump closed its doors after a decade in business
Among Lisa Vanderpump's best-known business ventures is Pump Restaurant and Lounge, which she opened in 2014. In 2023, she announced that Pump would be closing down. The reason, she explained, was that a drastic rent increase had forced her hand, making it impossible to turn a profit had she continued. "It was purely a business decision," Vanderpump told Variety. "With rents being $80,000 a month now, there's just no way." Interestingly, one of her other restaurants, Villa Blanca in Beverly Hills, shut down in 2020 under similar circumstances.
While patrons of Pump were no doubt sad to see it go, closing the doors resulted in legal action from the landlord. As People reported, the building's owner — a company registered as 8948 Santa Monica Partners — sued her husband, Ken Todd, seeking a million dollars. According to the suit, the landlord alleged that Todd hadn't transferred Pump's liquor license back to the property owners, which resulted in costly delays for the new tenant. The suit also alleged that Todd had stolen $50,000 worth of fixtures, including chandeliers.
"When we took over the place known as Pump 10 years ago, it was an empty car park," Todd told People, insisting that he had every right to take the chandeliers that he'd installed. "You don't normally find antique chandeliers hanging in a car park," he added, promising to fight back in court. "This aggressive behavior by the landlord will not be tolerated."
New restaurants in Vegas and Lake Tahoe
Shutting down Pump may have presented a temporary setback, but by no means was it the end of Lisa Vanderpump's days as a restaurateur. "We're also currently expanding our empire and will be opening two more restaurants with Caesars Palace," she told People at the time of Pump's closing.
One of those, set to open its doors in the summer of 2024, is called Pinky's, situated on the Las Vegas Strip. As she divulged via Instagram, the eatery's Art Deco decor will pay homage to the city's glitzy past. "It's my nickname," she told Parade of the moniker, adding, "It's a nod to a bygone era. I think we all know I love pink. But also ... pink is a little gangster."
She also announced plans to open a new restaurant in Lake Tahoe called Wolf by Vanderpump. "Wolf will be filled with bold and unique design, taking elements from the character and identity of the wolf itself," she said in a June 2023 press release. "This opportunity to create a rich and indulgent space inspired by the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe was one I couldn't resist. ... The food will be decadent, the cocktails both earthy and Instagrammable, and the entire experience is something we are thrilled to be bringing to Lake Tahoe." While the opening had been projected for some time that winter, as of February 2024, Wolf by Vanderpump had yet to launch.
Rumors of a RHOBH return
Having exited "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in 2019, Lisa Vanderpump later revealed that filming the ninth season was rough. "The last year was a very negative year for me," she told Extra. "I just had a horrible time with the show and the women." When Lisa Rinna left the show in 2023, Vanderpump responded to the news with a pithy "Wizard of Oz"-inspired tweet, reading "Ding dong," underscoring the bad blood between the two.
With Rinna out, rumors began surfacing that Vanderpump might return to the "RHOBH" fold. Would she consider coming back to the series that made her a reality TV superstar? She was posed that very question by her TV boss Andy Cohen during an appearance on his Bravo talk show "Watch What Happens Live." "You know what, we've talked about it, you said the door's always open," she told Cohen. "And you're kind of on the right path with one gone," she said of Rinna. "There's just a few more to go." She was also asked the question by Extra but refused to give a direct answer.
During a panel at BravoCon in November 2023, a fan asked the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast whether they'd like to see Vanderpump return. "Listen, I always forgive and forget everything. That's just my personality," Kyle Richards, who'd clashed with Vanderpump during the previous season together, told TheWrap. "But I'm always open to whatever. I don't hold any grudges."
She opened up about her 'brutal' experience with menopause
As a woman of a certain age, Lisa Vanderpump has experienced menopause. As she told Hello!, she did not have an easy time with it. "Menopause was brutal and I rode through that with no help at all," she said. "I think women aren't really prepared for menopause because it's just something you hear about — but it's like going back to being a 14-year-old every day. It's not even three or four days a month; it's just all the time and that was hard."
She credited her husband Ken Todd for being a source of support for her during that difficult period, using him as a sounding board and shoulder to cry on when she felt overwhelmed. However, she also acknowledged that not all men are knowledgeable about menopause, particularly the impact it can have on a woman's hormones and the resultant mood swings. "I think partners need to be more understanding, and men need to have an education as much as women and be able to recognize 'this isn't normal' for the person you married," she explained.
Vanderpump also admitted that watching oneself age on television is not for the timid. Seeing herself in flashbacks from the first season of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," she noted, was particularly daunting. According to Vanderpump, she has a five-point plan to help her cope with aging: "Positivity, exercise, good diet, good attitude — and Botox."
She was ticked when Raquel Leviss shared her side of the story on a podcast, not Vanderpump Rules
The fallout from Scandoval continued to impact "Vanderpump Rules" well after the season ended. Part of the fallout was that Raquel Leviss — who betrayed friend Ariana Madix by sleeping with her boyfriend, Tom Sandoval — decided to quit the show after spending three months in a mental health facility. Leviss subsequently opened up about what took place, sharing her side of the story during her first post-scandal interview with the "Just B with Bethenny Frankel" podcast in 2023.
Lisa Vanderpump was not impressed — not only by what Leviss had to say about her role in the "Vanderpump Rules" love triangle but by the fact that she didn't do it on the show. "I wish she'd actually come to me instead of sitting in the safety of somebody else's podcast," Vanderpump told Page Six. "Had she come to me, I think I would've been good to her."
Vanderpump also fired back at Leviss' claim that she was poorly paid. "And some of it wasn't true! Like I was paying her like an intern. I know exactly how much money she made. It was six figures. It was good!" she said. Speaking with TMZ, Vanderpump confirmed reports by TMZ, Variety, and the Hollywood Reporter that Leviss earned above $350,000, telling TMZ that she was paid precisely $361,000 for the Scandoval season of "Vanderpump Rules."
She and her husband were sued by former TomTom employees
As it turned out, Pump wasn't the only one of Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd's restaurants to be hit by a lawsuit. In January 2024, the couple was sued by former employees at TomTom. According to the suit, the staffers — who were bartenders — alleged they were fired after complaining that their working conditions were not safe after a plumbing incident that resulted in sewage flooding into the employees' break room. "During this period, [the former bartenders] experienced rampant violations of California labor laws, harassment, and unsafe working conditions," court documents alleged, as reported by Us Weekly.
The employees also claimed that after Todd fired them, he then bad-mouthed them to other prospective employers. As Page Six reported, one of the fired bartenders stated in the suit that Todd had "[published] false statements and comments to numerous third parties" regarding his "profession, reputation, and character." Asked to comment on the lawsuit by various sources, Todd reportedly declined to respond.
She received her first-ever Emmy nomination
The scandal-fuelled 10th season of "Vanderpump Rules" not only earned the show its highest ratings ever, it also gave Lisa Vanderpump something she'd never experienced before — an Emmy nomination. As the show's executive producer, she was named as a nominee in the Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program category for 2023; in fact, the show earned another nomination for Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program. "I actually did get goosebumps and cried," she told E! News immediately after the nominations were announced. "I just thought to actually be at that level, it's so unexpected if you go back 13 years — and I don't take it for granted at all."
Sadly, Vanderpump did not come home from the award gala with a golden Emmy. The honor instead went to the Ryan Reynolds-Rob McElhenney reality series "Welcome to Wrexham."
Had she won, she had the ideal — and most immodest — spot already picked out to display the trophy. "I think on the bonnet of my car so I can see it all the time," she joked.
Her spinoff spawned a spinoff starring some Vanderpump Rules alums
"Vanderpump Rules" was spawned by "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," and in early 2024 it was announced that "VPR" would be getting a spinoff of its own. Titled "The Valley," the new series — set in the San Fernando Valley — would follow a similar template, focusing on some "Vanderpump Rules" alumni. At the center of the series are five couples: Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright (both of whom appeared on "Vanderpump Rules"), fellow "Vanderpump Rules" star Kristen Doute and husband Luke Broderick, along with Danny and Nia Booko, Jesse and Michelle Lally, and Jason and Janet Caperna.
According to the series synopsis, "The Valley" would chronicle the lives of this friend group, formerly Hollywood hipsters who've grown up to become parents in the suburbs.
As is the case with the original series, Lisa Vanderpump is also an executive producer of "The Valley." "It's a very different show than 'Vanderpump Rules,' but I think it was interesting to see them pretend to be grown-ups," Vanderpump told The Hollywood Reporter. "I use the word 'grown-ups' very loosely ..." As she pointed out, Taylor, Cartwright, Doute, and the others may have grown older, but that didn't necessarily equate with wisdom. "It's a lot of fun because I would say, just because they're parents doesn't make them necessarily any more mature or mean that they have it all figured out any more than this ['Vanderpump Rules'] group does," she explained.
She's heading to France in new series Vanderpump Villa
Given the ratings success that Bravo experienced with the 10th season of "Vanderpump Rules," it shouldn't be surprising that one of the network's competitors decided to tap Lisa Vanderpump for a new reality show.
Set to debut in 2024 on Hulu, "Vanderpump Villa" shifts the action from Vanderpump's usual stomping ground in Los Angeles to the south of France, where she puts a crew of elite staff through their paces at an estate in the French countryside, Chateau Rosabelle (actually Château St. Joseph, a posh villa that hosts guests). In a trailer for the new series, Vanderpump proves to be quite the taskmaster as she tutors her employees — who live and work together in close quarters — in the intricacies of providing guests with opulent, five-star luxury. "You can do what you want behind the scenes, but when you're with the guests don't get sloppy," she warns the staff. "This is not Chateau S*** Show." Not surprisingly, that sequence is followed by a montage of the partying staffers going way beyond sloppy.
"It's full of sophistication, luxurious service, and, of course, it gets complicated," she said of the show while appearing on "Good Morning America" via satellite from France. She also teased "Vanderpump Villa" during a visit to "Dancing With the Stars," promising viewers they were in for a wild ride. "Chateau shenanigans!" she quipped. "It was off the hook!"