The Truth About Lisa Vanderpump's Husband Ken Todd
Longtime fans of the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and its devilishly addictive spin-off, "Vanderpump Rules," will know Ken Todd is more than just another dull Househusband. Lisa Vanderpump's beloved is an icon — a quiet, diminutive, and always sharply-dressed man who bears more than a passing resemblance to Rod Stewart, who equally loves carrying tiny dogs and his wife's tiny purses, and who, despite that diminutive stature, once threatened a drunk DJ James Kennedy when he stepped over the line with Vanderpump. "I told you not to come here when you're drunk. You're drunk now. The way you're speaking to Lisa? I'm giving you one warning, if you ruin my business... I'll knock you spark out," Todd warned. Kennedy's response? That Todd "scares the s*** out of" him (via E! News).
Todd is so iconic, in fact, he's inspired his own T-shirt from popular Bravo recap podcast "B***h Sesh," which brilliantly features the text "Can everybody see Ken?" The shirt references actor Jason Mantzoukas' appearance on the podcast, during which he worried aloud whether Todd was a real person or simply a ghost haunting the halls of Villa Rosa. But we all see Todd, and we want to know more about this enigmatic Englishman.
Ken Todd met Lisa Vanderpump through her brother
Ken Todd certainly knew what he wanted upon first spotting Lisa Vanderpump across the room. As the "RHOBH" alum revealed to former "Vanderpump Rules" star Stassi Schroeder on "Straight Up with Stassi" (via Bravo's The Daily Dish), she met the restaurateur through her late brother, who was working in a London nightclub at the time. As Vanderpump recalled, the day she first met Todd, she dropped her brother off at work, had dinner, came back to pick him up, and discovered there was a manager missing. Vanderpump gladly lent a hand only for Todd to stroll in the door.
He was 37 at the time, while she was only 21. Not to mention, "I was dating somebody else," Vanderpump admitted, but, "I just looked at him and there was an instant connection." Todd told her straight away he knew he was about to fall in love with her, but Vanderpump was soon off to America. When she returned weeks later, however, she ran into Todd once again and, well, the rest is history.
Ken Todd and Lisa Vanderpump were an unlikely match
Ken Todd and Lisa Vanderpump's love story is swoon-worthy, as fans of their reality shows will already know. They've been married for decades and share two children, Pandora and adopted son Max. As Hello! noted, the duo got engaged after just six weeks of dating. "It was the strangest thing. He was wrong for me in every sense — 16 years older, playboy, in the nightclubs. But he asked me for my number and that was that," Vanderpump acknowledged.
However, after being married for so long, Vanderpump has looked back on their life together and noted, "Would I recommend that to young people now? Probably not. It was the strangest thing. He is older, but he has always met me halfway, has never put me down, always asks my opinions on things." Her secret to a successful marriage is that support, as the restaurateur and reality star has shared, "I have changed throughout the years and have become more confident — but I have always felt him beside me."
In an episode of the "Straight Up with Stassi" podcast in 2018, Vanderpump echoed those sentiments about her husband around the time of their 35th wedding anniversary, explaining what made their marriage work. "You know the greatest gift Ken Todd ever gave me? He was 16 years older than me and he met me halfway on everything. He never put me down, he never belittled me, he would take me to meetings and ask my opinion," she said (via Bravo's The Daily Dish).
Lisa Vanderpump's husband, Ken Todd, worked hard for his luxurious lifestyle
They may make their love known to all, but Ken Todd himself remains something of a question mark. Bravo's The Daily Dish revealed he was previously briefly married to Pamela Todd, with whom he had a son named Warren, who was born in 1966. "Warren is very much his [father's] son — ambitious, incredibly family oriented, and someone to be proud of," Vanderpump wrote in a 2011 Bravo blog post. Of his first marriage, Todd himself has said it simply "didn't last very long," and he had sole custody of Warren from the time his son was 2.
Notably, Todd's money didn't come easily, with Vanderpump sharing in her blog, "One of the many reasons that I fell in love with Ken was the kindness he exuded. We met when Warren was 15 and I was 21. As he explained he was married briefly for two years at 19, to a young wife who wasn't prepared for the challenging job of being a mother. So he then fought for custody of their only child. He worked many jobs laboring, night jobs, anything to provide for his son, and, with the help of his mother, he raised an educated, well-mannered young man. Life was hard at the beginning. But with sheer tenacity and some sort of innovative business sense, he created a life for his family (including his parents) that otherwise they wouldn't have had."
Vanderpump and Todd have had their fair share of success in the restaurant industry, opening more than 30 establishments over three decades (via Refinery29). Included in those, of course, are PUMP, SUR, and TomTom, which feature heavily on Bravo's "Vanderpump Rules."
According to Lisa Vanderpump, Ken Todd mostly relaxed during their first American sojourn
The two are a fixture on the Los Angeles restaurant scene and have been for quite some time now, but they didn't settle in the United States immediately. As London Evening Standard noted, Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd originally relocated in the '90s when she was still an aspiring actress. A four-year stint in the sun culminated with a high-profile role on "Baywatch" opposite David Hasselhoff, after which Vanderpump decided to dedicate herself to the couple's bulging business portfolio full time.
The couple moved back to the U.K. to raise Pandora and Max, away from what she termed the "Hollywood b-s." The 1994 earthquake helped make their decision even easier, shaking the couple awake at 4 a.m. Their home remained intact but three out of Todd's four L.A. pizza restaurants crumbled. However, Vanderpump made a point of noting her husband wasn't focused enough on the businesses at the time anyway, reportedly doing nothing apart from playing "polo and tennis," to justify staying put.
Ken Todd is actually more impulsive than Lisa Vanderpump
Longtime fans of both "RHOBH" and "Vanderpump Rules" will know Ken Todd as the stoic, supportive beta to Lisa Vanderpump's proud alpha, stepping in only when his wife absolutely needs his assistance (hence why "Goodbye Kyle!" became such a phenomenon — had Todd ever even raised his voice on the show before that explosive moment?). But in reality, she argues that her hubby is actually the more spontaneous of the two of them.
In a joint interview with London Evening Standard, Todd described how his lady was, "like a breath of fresh air coming into my life," with Vanderpump confirming, "We complement each other." The restaurateur and reality star explained when it comes to business, however, "he's the impulsive one, I'm more conservative." And, in spite of running dozens of restaurants, "he's always looking for a new venture." Todd confirmed they work well together because they have similar tastes and ideas. And, at the end of the day, they're "not only lovers, but friends as well."
Lisa Vanderpump waited on Ken Todd hand and foot after his surgeries
In April 2015, Ken Todd underwent hip replacement surgery, and Lisa Vanderpump rallied to support him any way she could. In response to a happy customer dining at PUMP, Vanderpump tweeted, "Oh sorry I can't be there! I am at home cooking for my husband, still on crutches and in pain." She also noted of her social media absence, "Will be off Twitter for a couple of days, concentrating on my darling husband." The "Vanderpump Rules" star later provided an Instagram update for fans, sharing a photo of Todd smiling, on crutches, in their yard and advising, "He is almost back."
Then, in June 2020, Vanderpump played nurse again after her beloved hubby had back surgery. "Ha he is back after a few days on OxyContin and a dedicated nurse... oh and the gigster of course," she wrote alongside a video of Todd, referring to their beloved dog Giggy, who attended many red carpets (always looking very dapper in one of his suits) alongside the couple before his death in December 2020. "Hello! You're back. What's your name?" she quips in the clip, to which a confused Todd responds, "Are you talking to me?" before deadpanning that he can't remember.
Ken Todd is glad to be done with RHOBH but wouldn't rule out a return to reality TV
Watching his wife go through massive arguments during her tenure on "RHOBH" couldn't have been easy for Ken Todd, hence why he was so relieved when she quit the show during Season 9. At BravoCon 2019, Todd described his wife as a "different person" now "she's got eight b****es off her back" (via Too Fab). As for whether their time on the hit show has put them off returning to reality TV, it seems the couple would be open to a show in the future, although Lisa Vanderpump advised that it "wouldn't necessarily have to be on Bravo."
They'd love to bring more awareness to their dog rescue center, Vanderpump Dogs, and, if a reality show was the way to do it, the adorable couple would certainly be up for it. "I'd love to do it if it was available. They wouldn't even have to pay me!" Todd enthused. When asked, once again, what the secret to their lengthy relationship is, the restaurateur quipped, "I just do what I'm told." As for his favorite qualities in Vanderpump, Todd opined he loves how "happy" and "honest" she is.
Ken Todd is worth a considerable amount
Fans of "Vanderpump Rules" will already be well aware that Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd are fans of the high life, from their stunning Beverly Hills mansion, lavishly named Villa Rosa, to their wardrobes bursting with designer clothes (and clothes for their dogs!) and car collection. As reported by Screen Rant, the couple purchased their current property in 2011 for $10.2 million. It's a whopping 8,801 square feet total, which is actually a step down from their previous, 17,000 square-foot home, which ultimately sold for $19 million.
As "Real Housewives" alum Vanderpump is quick to point out, she and Todd worked their way up from nothing and they have earned the right to enjoy a bit of luxury as a result. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the beloved celebrity couple owns 26 restaurants overall. Their Los Angeles empire likely nets them a considerable amount annually, while side business Vanderpump Pet, a line of accessories with an accompanying store, was launched in 2015 to supplement their income. As a result, Todd is worth an estimated $90 million. That's a lot of goat cheese balls at SUR.
This is how Lisa Vanderpump's husband annoys her most
Lisa Vanderpump belongs on reality television. After ditching the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," she focused all her attention on hit spin-off show "Vanderump Rules," for which the British firebrand acts as head honcho onscreen and off. While the show was on hiatus, presumably due to the COVID-19-necessitated lockdown that shuttered restaurants in Los Angeles, Vanderpump turned her attention to a brand new show, "Overserved." As Bravo's The Daily Dish noted, it's filmed in Villa Rosa and follows Vanderpump as she cooks and entertains for a variety of celebrity friends.
Ken Todd pops up here and there, too, of course, but, as the matriarch explained, he isn't too involved behind the scenes. "He doesn't really have to do anything. He'll just pour the wine," Vanderpump revealed, admitting her beloved husband typically doesn't show his face until the guest is at the door — frequently not even then. The "Vanderpump Rules" star admitted, "It's kind of annoying when he arrives after the guest, comes downstairs after the guest, but, you know, I think every woman can identify with that. But he normally comes down with a puppy in his arms, you know?"
Ken Todd finds the funny in difficult situations
Ken Todd has a reputation for being a bit serious. Aside from blowing up at Kyle Richards on the "RHOBH," Lisa Vanderpump's partner in life and business typically plays the role of dutiful husband, happily carting around her handbags and the couple's many dogs without complaint. But Todd showcased a little bit of his own personality following a shocking incident at PUMP, revealing his fun sense of humor. As TMZ reported at the time, the stylish West Hollywood gay bar and restaurant was broken into in August 2020.
Thankfully, an eyewitness called the authorities and the attempted burglar was caught in the act, with cops arresting him within minutes of arriving on the scene. Vanderpump and Todd opted not to press charges against the individual, because there was no damage done to the property. Todd, however, quipped to the site, "He was desperate for a Pump-tini. We can't blame him," referencing one of Pump's most famous and popular cocktails, as well as the subject of a meme-worthy moment involving DJ James Kennedy on "Vanderpump Rules."
Lisa Vanderpump's husband was a rock 'n' roll best man
They might be Hollywood transplants, but Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd were clearly always meant to live in La La Land. In fact, the former "Real Housewives" star was loaded up with celebrity stories before the couple even crossed the pond. Speaking to Bustle, Vanderpump reminisced about how she and Todd were dabbling in the property market prior to making the move, revealing, "We'd just sold our house to [the Dire Straits frontman] Mark Knopfler, and we decided to use the money to buy these tickets on British Airways that gave you a round trip across the world. Roger Taylor of Queen was a very good friend of ours, so he lent us his house in Los Angeles for six weeks."
Johnny Depp and then-fiancée Jennifer Grey became the couple's very first L.A. friends, but they hardly needed the leg up since, as the restaurateur noted, they already had mingled with the stars. Todd was the best man at the wedding of Bill Wyman, Rolling Stones' original bassist, with the couple joining the band on their "Steel Wheels" tour in 1989. Vanderpump noted, "It was just a wild and crazy life."