It took ages for Katie Maloney and Ariana Madix to get Something About Her afloat. Now that business is finally booming, a lawsuit with their former business partner, Chef Penny Davidi, is heating up.
You probably recall seeing glimpses of Chef Penny on Vanderpump Rules. She was the one responsible for curating the menu and doing all of the groundwork that goes into launching a restaurant. She feels like the VPR ladies bamboozled her out of her cut.
Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney are headed to court
Katie and Ariana’s lawyer tried to have Penny’s claims dismissed. However, a report from In Touch confirmed that a Los Angeles Superior Court set a trial date. Unfortunately, that isn’t until March 16, 2026, nearly two years after the opening date of Something About Her.
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According to Penny, Ariana and Katie promised her a major role as the chief operating officer and the culinary director. Penny claimed that the girls offered her a 10 percent cut of the business, in addition to a paycheck of $7,500 a month. The paycheck was supposed to increase to $10,000 a month. Supposedly, the VPR stars backed out of the deal. Instead, they offered her 10 percent of SAH’s sales.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m happy to jump in. I would love to be a part of this with you guys and really help you grow,’” Penny recalled in an interview earlier this year.
She continued, “And then Ariana was like, ‘We would love to be able to pay you. I’m sure you’re worth a lot, but we just can’t afford what it’s going to cost right now, and maybe we can work out to give you a percentage of the business,’ not a percentage of the profits of this little restaurant.”
Ariana and Katie have sold over a million dollars in merch for Something About Her, which illustrates why Penny wants more than just a cut of sandwich sales. Penny claimed that she did all of the leg work for developing the brand, obtaining the trademark, and getting Something About Her to the place that it is today. She’s hopeful that a judge will force the Pump Rules stars to follow through on their deal.
