'Vanderpump Rules' Stars Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney Bring Twist in Sandwich Shop Legal Battle as Bitter Chef Accuses Them of Ghosting 'Business Deal'
Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney are fighting their former pal, Chef Penny Davidi, in court over their embattled sandwich shop.
Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney are fighting back against a disgruntled Hollywood chef's lawsuit over their embattled sandwich shop.
RadarOnline.com exclusively obtained court documents showing the Vanderpump Rules cast members are denying every point of a complaint filed by their former pal, Penny Davidi, arguing her allegations rely on "hypothetical facts".
The chef, who has made brief appearances on the hit Bravo show, accused the pair of ghosting her after they allegedly agreeing to bring her on as chief operating officer (COO) in exchange for a 10% ownership stake in their business.
Madix and Maloney asked a judge to toss the lawsuit as they argued it hinged on 'hypothetical facts'.
Davidi claimed the three of them "entered a partnership" in June of 2023 to "jointly engage in the business of developing, creating, owning, operating, promoting, commercially exploiting, and otherwise profiting and benefiting from" the West Hollywood eatery, Something About Her.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County on July 18, Davidi alleged Madix and Maloney agreed to fork over $7,500 in monthly "management fees" that were to increase to $10K per month beginning in 2024. These payments, according to Davidi, were to continue throughout their partnership — which she claimed was "perpetual".
In her role as "COO/Director of Culinary", Davidi was to "direct, oversee, and supervise culinary and restaurant operations", her complaint said. She claimed to have had "a host of agreed-upon tasks, responsibilities, participation, and authority in the management of the partnership".
Something About Her had its long-anticipated opening in May after a series of delays.
But after putting in "substantial work", Davidi alleged Madix and Maloney failed to hold up their end of the purported bargain. In her filing, she asked the court to order the defendants to abide by the terms of the alleged "agreement".
Davidi's lawyer wrote in her complaint: "An actual controversy exists that is ripe for adjudication."
Court records show the Vanderpump stars were served by mail on August 8 and filed a joint response on September 9, asking the judge to toss the case. They "generally and specifically" denied Davidi's allegations and insisted they were innocent of "any and all wrongful conduct".
Their lawyers argued the case failed to meet the grounds for a "justiciable controversy" in addition to hinging on the "hypothetical".
Furthermore, lawyers for Madix and Maloney argued the chef was "barred' from legal recourse under certain jargon-filled doctrines. Essentially, they argued Davidi waited too long to file her complaint – and that the unofficial nature of any "deal" as described in the lawsuit would have given the women the right to change their minds.
Davidi argued the "agreement" was "oral, implied in fact and by conduct, and confirmed by 'writing' [as defined by law]...including video and audio recordings'" as well as "payments made and performance" by Madix and Maloney.
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Davidi asked the judge to order the 'Vanderpump' stars to abide by the terms of their alleged agreement.
She also said "countless witnesses" could attest to the existence of the deal that supposedly gave her rights to the "restaurant, fashion, merchandise, and lifestyle brand, business, and property, and incidents thereof, including intellectual property".
Davidi was credited with dreaming up Something About Her's famous "Greek Goddess" sandwich, though the owners ended up changing its name to "The Meg."
Madix and Maloney announced their plans for the shop in 2022, but its opening was delayed due to "unexpected challenges" like permitting hangups and staffing changes. They finally opened the doors this past May.
Shortly afterward, as RadarOnline.com reported, Davidi threw shade at the establishment, saying the menu had become "underwhelming" in her absence.
Davidi was credited with creating the 'Greek Goddess' sandwich, though the reality stars changed the name to 'The Meg'.
The culinary pro said what Maloney and Madix were serving up was "not her menu" and "not the sandwiches" she created.
Davidi declared: "This is not what I put together. This is not the vision that I had for this place."
Yet she also believed the restaurant was still using practices she implemented, adding: "I can say 50% of the menu are items that I gave them and they changed some things."
The chef expressed doubt about the future success of Something About Her due to Madix and Maloney "not being restaurant operators."
She predicted: "Keeping the business going will be challenging. At some point, the fans will realize that the only person they will see at the shop is Terry, Katie’s mom.
"It’s a once-and-done kind of place. It’s not a business that can be scaled. Unfortunately, their overhead is going to be too high and they can’t make enough product."
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