You may know Lisa Vanderpump as a Real Housewife of Beverly Hills, but there's a lot more to
her than that.
She's a powerful business woman, animal lover, and philanthropist who continues to build
her empire.
This is what you never knew about Lisa Vanderpump.
Lisa Vanderpump may be known for reality television, but she's got plenty of experience with regular
TV, too.
Vanderpump began acting as a young girl.
And at 13, she landed a role in the film A Touch of Class and has had many other roles
in shows and films over the years, including The Wildcats of St. Trinians, and Baywatch
Nights.
Vanderpump was never a huge star, but she told Express that she made more than enough
to support herself.
In addition to her film and TV roles, she starred in dozens of commercials throughout
her acting career.
With such an accomplished resume, you might be wondering why she ever quit acting.
Aside from a couple of cameos, she hasn't had an acting role since 1995.
Vanderpump explained:
"The acting business gives you up, rather than you giving it up."
Vanderpump is fine not acting these days, though, having set her sights on other goals.
She revealed that she's had, quote, "many acting offers" that she's rejected but also
revealed acting isn't a priority for her.
Lisa Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd, have been going strong for decades.
On the podcast "Straight Up with Stassi," Vanderpump opened up about being swept off
her feet at the age of 21 by Todd, who is 16 years her senior.
In spite of the age difference and the fact that she was already seeing someone, Vanderpump
knew at first sight that the two had a "connection," although she initially avoided going out with
him.
After meeting him again several weeks later, she agreed to a date and they've been together
ever since.
She said:
"We got engaged after six weeks and we were married within three months."
The two have become successful business partners in the decades they've been together, and
Vanderpump said that Todd has always treated her as an equal.
She explained:
"He never put me down, he never belittled me, he would take me to meetings and ask my
opinion."
While no relationship is perfect, Vanderpump told Bustle that their commitment to each
other has helped them stick together through thick and thin.
She joked that:
"He still drives me crazy.
But life's about making things work."
"What is one thing people will be surprised to know about me?"
"Ah, well, first of all you're an amazing cook."
Lisa Vanderpump always wanted to adopt
When Lisa Vanderpump married Ken Todd, she became stepmother to his son, Warren, who
is just six years younger than her.
Vanderpump and Todd also have two kids together, a daughter named Pandora and a son named Max.
The pair adopted Max, with Vanderpump telling Bravo that they:
"Had always thought that we would adopt a couple of children."
"We actually tried to adopt four more children when we lived in England.
We were turned down because we were too old.
At the time I think I was 35."
Vanderpump said that she did her best to give her children a happy childhood.
And it's clear she's devoted to her kids — although she admits she's taken it a bit far at times.
She told Bustle:
"I became one of those obsessive mothers.
I love hard.
I feel very possessive about my children, my animals, my husband.
If I'm in, I'm in big time."
Fans of Lisa Vanderpump know well that she is a wealthy restaurateur with her finger
in many pies.
It's a veritable empire, with her vast portfolio including the restaurants SUR, Tom Tom, and
PUMP, but just how many properties does she own?
That number is up for debate.
In 2019, her publicist told Refinery29 that Vanderpump and her hubby had been in the game
for "over 30 years" and had built more than 30 businesses but wasn't sure of the precise
figure.
In a 2016 interview with Adweek, she said her husband already owned a wine bar when
they met and that the couple opened several other wine bars and clubs, after tying the
knot.
As for the number of establishments that they had opened, she said:
"I think we've had 32 in total."
It's hard to imagine The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reaching the level of success
that it has attained without Lisa Vanderpump.
She's at the top of Ranker's list of most popular Real Housewives, as voted by visitors
to the site, so it's safe to say the franchise wouldn't be the same without her.
Yet when she was first approached about joining the cast of the show, she wasn't on board.
Her hesitation had nothing to do with disliking reality TV, as some might think.
And it wasn't even because she was concerned about the time commitment.
She told Hello! that her real issue was that:
"[I didn't] think I had enough conflict in my life and wasn't sure if it would be interesting."
Starring on a reality TV show may be a dream for many people, but not everyone wants to
see one of their loved ones find fame in such a way.
Lisa Vanderpump admitted to Adweek that her family wasn't exactly keen on the idea when
she was cast in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
While it wasn't too bad at the beginning since her family is in the U.K. and The Real Housewives
of Beverly Hills is an American show, the franchise eventually made its way across the
pond.
Vanderpump was also increasingly in the public eye with her Real Wives of Beverly Hills spin
off Vanderpump Rules.
Unfortunately, the tension didn't improve as Vanderpump's fame grew.
Vanderpump told E! News that her family in England isn't supportive.
She said that her reality fame:
"Doesn't quite fit in with their perception of what I should be doing with my real life."
In addition to running her businesses and being a reality star, Lisa Vanderpump is an
author.
Her first book, "Simply Divine: A Guide to Easy, Elegant, and Affordable Entertaining,"
debuted in 2011.
It offers insight for creating the perfect gathering.
While the book has recipes, it's not a cookbook per se.
Instead, it's more of a how-to guide on throwing a spectacular bash, including everything from
menu items to decorating tips.
Vanderpump told HuffPost that she wanted to write something that:
"Takes the pressure out of entertaining and teaches people they can cook and it can be
beautiful."
Vanderpump is also working on a memoir, making it clear to Entertainment Tonight that it
will not be ghostwritten.
She said:
"I have written thousands and thousands and thousands of words.
[And] it's a motivational book."
A book that also delves into her own life.
Lisa Vanderpump has lived an extraordinary life, but it hasn't always been an easy one.
Vanderpump has been open about living with depression, explaining that, after her brother's
suicide in 2018, her mental health took a toll.
She told Express that she was emotionally depleted.
After her brother's death, Vanderpump went on antidepressants and also started going
to therapy.
She said that, while her experience has been difficult, she thinks:
"It's important to talk about depression, and for people to seek help.
There's no shame to it."
In an interview with Hollywood Life, she encouraged people who are experiencing similar emotions
to seek help, professional or otherwise.
She believes that finding someone to connect with is important.
Fans were heartbroken when Lisa Vanderpump announced that she was leaving The Real Housewives
of Beverly Hills in 2019 after nine seasons.
In an appearance on Access Daily, she revealed that her final season of The Real Housewives
of Beverly Hills began filming just two days after her brother's funeral.
"Well, I think when I was kind of on Real Housewives, the last moments I was on it,
it was the darkest time of my life, because I had just lost my brother."
It wasn't just working through her grief that made staying on the show difficult, though.
She told In the Know that things had just become, quote, "too negative."
"It was a very difficult season and I didn't start off in a good space because I think
I was much more emotional this year."
Will we ever see Vanderpump on Real Housewives again?
That depends.
She told Entertainment Tonight that she'd consider it at some point — but that Bravo
would have to make some big casting changes.
Vanderpump said it would be, quote, "impossible" to be on the show with her former castmates
and that she wouldn't want to return unless they, quote, "cleaned house."
When asked by Cosmopolitan if she keeps in touch with any of her former castmates, Vanderpump
confirmed that she has severed ties with them.
She said:
"I left under pretty sad circumstances.
There was no joy in that situation."
While Lisa Vanderpump stepped away from the Real Housewives franchise, she's still very
much involved with Vanderpump Rules.
The show launched in 2013 as a spinoff of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and follows
Vanderpump and some of her restaurant employees.
The show proved to be successful, with many of its stars rising to fame, but scandal shook
the series in 2020 when Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens , and Brett Caprioni
were fired after allegations of racism surfaced.
Per Page Six, Schroeder and Doute, who are white, once called the cops on former co-star
Faith Stowers — the only Black cast member on the show — and falsely accused her of
theft.
Additionally, racist comments and tweets from Schroeder, Boyens, and Caprioni came to light,
leading to their firing.
"I just want to be liked.
I mean I'm already well aware of what's gonna happen, ya know."
Vanderpump told Cosmopolitan that she stood by Bravo's decision to let them go, but hinted
that she might have reacted differently had their future on the show been in her hands.
She said of Schroeder and Doute:
"But to me I'd like to see them, you know, go on, but really have a better understanding
of where they went wrong."
One of Lisa Vanderpump's passion projects is the Vanderpump Dog Foundation, which helps
rescue dogs.
The nonprofit's many endeavors include working to end the trade of dog meat and stop animal
cruelty.
She told People:
"I hope that will be my legacy."
Vanderpump has several dogs herself, and has always been passionate about animals, telling
Time that she grew up with lots of animals.
She said:
"[We had] ponies in the kitchen [and] ducks on the bed."
Being on Real Housewives helped amplify the cause, and the foundation has had quite an
impact.
In 2019, Congress passed the PACT Act to prevent animal cruelty, in no small part because of
the work of Vanderpump and her foundation, as noted by Bustle.
She also played a part in the passing of a 2018 resolution which calls for the prohibition
of cats and dogs being slaughtered for meat.
While it might sound like helping animals is Lisa Vanderpump's calling, she's a woman
of many talents.
Through her many businesses, she's been able to flex her creative skills, telling Adweek
she's passionate about aesthetics and so loves handling all the visuals of her establishments.
In fact, a lot of things have captured her interest over the years, including her philanthropic
work.
In an interview with Locale, Vanderpump spoke of her myriad interests, admitting:
"I'm passionate about a lot of things."
Among her many philanthropic causes is advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community, global hunger,
and Alzheimer's awareness.
Juggling her many causes can be difficult, and Vanderpump confessed that she doesn't
have time to champion all the causes that she supports.
She explained:
"You can dilute yourself so much that you end up talking about everything, so I try
to call on the things I truly believe in."
While some reality stars may be in it for the fame, Lisa Vanderpump is a champion of
the people.
In an interview with Time, she spoke of her reality fame pragmatically, saying that her
fame has "advantages."
Vanderpump recounted the doors that being on Real Housewives has opened for her, including
speaking at the U.N. and in front of Congress.
She added that fame can bring a lot of power in America, and said:
"If you're really famous, you can run for President.
It doesn't matter if you're f---ing qualified or not.
So if Trump can do it, maybe I can.
Vandertrump for President!"
Alas, Vanderpump is British and could therefore never become POTUS, once tweeting:
"President of Housewives is the best I can do."
And even if she could run for the office, she told Time that she doesn't think she's
cut out for politics.
She said:
"I'm way too naughty — way too salacious."
Then again, she pointed out that she also never thought she'd become a reality star,
so who knows what the future holds?
One thing's for sure: Vanderpump can accomplish anything she puts her mind to.
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