Lisa Vanderpump

Early life

Lisa Vanderpump was born and raised in London, England. She was a full-time drama student by the age of nine.

Entertainment

Vanderpump starred in numerous television shows and films as a child. She made her film debut in the 1973 dramedy A Touch of Class, playing the daughter of Vicky Allessio played by Glenda Jackson, and also appeared in the cult horror film Killer's Moon (1978). Throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s, Vanderpump had small roles in various episodic television programs. She appeared on the television series Silk Stalkings and as Margo Curtis on Baywatch Nights.

Vanderpump was featured prominently in '80s music videos "Poison Arrow" and "Mantrap" by the band ABC and also "(What) In The Name of Love" by the duo Naked Eyes. She was featured in the Lady Gaga music video for "G.U.Y." in March 2014.

Vanderpump debuted on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2010 and is an original cast member of the show. In 2011, she was part of CNN's coverage of the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton In 2013, she was featured in a spin-off of the program, Vanderpump Rules, which focuses on the staff of her West Hollywood restaurant, SUR.

In February that year, Vanderpump was announced as one of the celebrities who will compete on the 16th season of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko. They were the second couple to be eliminated from the competition, leaving in tenth place.

Business

Before moving to the US, Vanderpump designed 26 of the London-based bars and restaurants that she co-owned with her husband. They own two new restaurants in California. Villa Blanca is based in Beverly Hills, while Sur, the focus of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spin-off, Vanderpump Rules is based in West Hollywood. In August 2013, entrepreneurs Ryan Allen Carrillo and Andrew Gruver filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, naming Vanderpump and her husband as defendants and alleging breach of fiduciary duty, constructive fraud, breach of contract, and misrepresentation and deceit, according to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com. Carrillo and Gruver claim the couple "unfairly snatched the West Hollywood venue" where they intended to open a gay sports bar called Bar Varsity.

Vanderpump authored Simply Divine: A Guide to Easy, Elegant, and Affordable Entertaining in 2011. She is a monthly contributing writer and editor for Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine. Vanderpump released a line of homewares called The Vanderpump Beverly Hills Collection by Pop Culture Promotions on 6 November 2014.

In 2015, Lisa Vanderpump (along with her husband and Pomeranian, "Giggy") launched a line of luxury pet accessories, Vanderpump Pets. The brand offers an inclusive line of leashes, collars, toys, and dog bowls, keeping in mind a particular couture styling. To keep up with Ken and Lisa's philanthropic work, a percentage of every leash and collar bought is donated to their Vanderpump Dog Foundation.

In October 2016, Vanderpump launched her own line of emojis, titled Vandermojis. The collection, designed by Vanderpump, includes GIFs, stickers and audio messages.

In March 2017, Vanderpump was named editor-in-chief of Beverly Hills Lifestyle Magazine.

Philanthropy

Together with her husband, she supports Keep Memory Alive, founded by Larry Ruvo of Nevada. The organization was established to bring awareness to various neurological disorders, including Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

Vanderpump was a recipient of the Ally Leadership Award from Equality California, an LGBT rights organization, in 2015.

In October 2015, Vanderpump organized protest march against the Lychee and Dog Meat Festival. The march went from MacArthur Park to the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles. Vanderpump has since created the Vanderpump Dog Foundation to further support this movement to end the torture of dogs. Lisa's foundation is responsible for holding large events in the Los Angeles area, including the protest march against the Yulin Dog Meat Festival, where hundreds of supporters marched towards the Chinese Consulate. The Vanderpump Dog Foundation also hosted its first World Dog Day event, which generated a crowd of 4,000 people and 2,500 dogs.

Personal life

Vanderpump had resided in both London and Cheltenham prior to moving to Monaco. Later, Vanderpump, along with her husband and children, moved to Beverly Hills, California, where they had lived briefly years before. Vanderpump and Todd own a home in Montecito, California. In 1982, she married Ken Todd six weeks after meeting him; she was 21, while he was 36. They have two children together, daughter Pandora (born 1986) and adopted son Max (born 7 December 1991). London property developer Warren Todd is Ken's son and Lisa's step son.

In 2014 Vanderpump was honored with a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.

Published works