Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd have been married for almost 40 years,
so how do they keep the spark alive? It all comes down to a little TLC,
a menagerie of animals, and… good oral hygiene? Stay tuned for all the romantic details.
By the time Lisa Vanderpump was 20 years old, she had earned enough money from her
acting career to purchase her own apartment in London. One night, according to Bravo,
when picking her brother up from his job at a place called Corks,
Vanderpump found him short-handed and went to manage the front door.
When the owner, Ken Todd, showed up, he was enchanted. Todd,
who had been married and divorced, told the London Evening Standard:
"She was like a breath of fresh air coming into my life."
Vanderpump also felt that there might be some potential. She told the newspaper:
"I thought, hello, he looks interesting."
The couple flirted a bit that night,
but then Vanderpump went to the United States for several weeks.
While being interviewed on the "Straight Up with Stassi" podcast, she explained:
"It was the strangest thing. He was so wrong for
me in every sense of the word. He was 16 years older than me."
When she returned from the U.S. however, they began their six-week-long courtship.
The couple, who has now been married nearly four decades,
took time to answer some prepared questions about their relationship for "The Insider." At one point
during the playful Q&A session, Todd referred to the "massive" wedding ring he gave her.
In response, Vanderpump joked:
"That quarter of a carat? That pinprick?"
Vanderpump's ring has most definitely been upgraded. She now wears an
enormous emerald-cut diamond in a double halo on her ring finger.
The Beverly Hills' future power couple was engaged after six
weeks and married within three months of meeting.
Lisa Vanderpump shared a photo of their wedding, featuring her beloved first pooch,
on Instagram for their 37th anniversary. Vanderpump tweeted about the photo:
"That was Huckleberry love dog."
Vanderpump claimed that her future husband won her over because of his respectful treatment,
as she shared on the "Straight Up With Stassi" podcast. She said:
"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."
"But you know I'm married to somebody that wasn't a chauvinist. He always
asked my advice. Even when I was 21 and I really didn't know, he asked my advice on things."
Their relationship, as evidenced on "Vanderpump
Rules," still operates under the same principles of mutual respect.
Lisa Vanderpump is Ken Todd's second wife. He was previously married for a short time in the '60s,
as noted by Bravo's The Daily Dish, and they had a child, Warren, in 1966. After their divorce,
Todd had sole custody of his son, who was 2 at the time.
"He was only married a couple years. Um,
but I thought Vanderpump was a much nicer name than Todd. Sorry, no disrespect to my husband."
Vanderpump became a stepmom to the boy, who was 16 years old at the time of her marriage to Todd.
Vanderpump gave birth to daughter Pandora at 25,
and she and Todd later adopted son Max when he was six weeks old. Regarding her son,
Vanderpump said on an episode of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills":
"I knew very well that I could have more children biologically, but the adoption was my choice."
Vanderpump revealed to Bustle that she was initially worried that having a child would
limit the couple's activities, especially because their business centered on nightlife,
but she quickly realized that it wouldn't be the case.
She also described growing up in a stern British household and noted
that she prides herself on the fact that she was very affectionate with her own children.
Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd's relationship, as seen on "Vanderpump Rules," definitely has
a playful quality about it. It's clear that nearly four decades of marriage have provided
a solid foundation on which they can have fun with their dogs and also tease each other mercilessly.
When Todd asked his wife when she realized that she loved him, Vanderpump hilariously replied:
"I think it was after we got married."
For his part, Todd described a much quicker onset of affection for his future wife.
"Tell me when you first knew you loved me." "Um, about 10 seconds after I met you."
Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd have owned an incredible 36 businesses during their time
together. The couple, who seem to have the Midas touch when it comes to operating bars,
pubs, restaurants, and event spaces,
has really found their groove when it comes to how they work together.
In an interview with Life & Style, Lisa summed up their bond by saying:
"We have the same ideals and the same family values and I
guess we're both religious and we both love animals and we work well together."
That seems rather simplistic, but perhaps it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.
According to Vanderpump, when it comes to their businesses, each of them has
fairly defined roles at this point. Even when they were still living in England,
she reported to the Evening Standard that her responsibilities were more concerned
with the design of their locations and that Ken handled the business side of things.
Though they have had massive success in the restaurant business,
Vanderpump once noted to Bustle that it wasn't always that way. She said:
"When we got married, we were always risking things,
and we definitely had financial struggles in the beginning."
A long way from those days now, Vanderpump and Todd have thrived. In addition to their
bars and restaurants in Los Angeles, they also have two booming spots in Las Vegas,
Vanderpump à Paris and Vanderpump Cocktail Garden.
"One word, what's the vibe." "Sexy. Romantic. I mean it's everything that a garden should be."
Lisa Vanderpump has occasionally flirted on "Vanderpump Rules." At one point during
the show, new cast member Brett Caprioni [cap-ree-OH-nee] commented to The Sun:
"Working at SUR, I've seen a lot of beautiful women
but nothing is like it when Lisa walks through."
Vanderpump even admitted to having an "emotional affair" with her "Dancing with the Stars" partner,
Gleb Savchenko, during her time on the show. Vanderpump shared Todd's
playful reaction to her shenanigans on the dance floor with Us Weekly, saying:
"[Ken] would be like, 'I see you. I see what you're up to.' He doesn't put that
much importance on me messing about and flirting."
In an interview with InStyle, Vanderpump said about her husband:
"He is incredibly kind, philanthropic, hard-working, he's been a great father,
and I just have a lot of respect for him. And he loves dogs as much as I
do. Any man that loves the dog rescue and lets me live with dogs is worth marrying."
In the world of the Housewives, an on-screen vow renewal has often been followed quickly by
a break-up. The so-called "vow renewal curse" has struck several couples from multiple franchises,
including the "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Vicki Gunvalson
and "The Real Housewives of New York City" star Ramona Singer.
Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd, however,
have managed to escape the negative outcome of a televised renewal ceremony so far.
"Thirty years ago I stood at your side."
"And you have managed to fulfill most of those hopes and dreams."
For his part, Todd reiterated the feelings he's felt for many years. He said:
"I love you. And always will."
There can be no doubt that their humor, mutual respect,
and love formed the bedrock of their marriage.
Despite the curse that seems associated with a televised vow renewal,
Vanderpump remains happily married.
Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd share a love of many things,
but animals — particularly dogs — are at the top of the list. The couple's property,
Villa Rosa, is home to a menagerie of miniature horses, swans, and lots of dogs.
The couple's most famous and beloved sidekick over the years, however,
was undoubtedly their beloved Pomeranian, Gigolo, aka Giggy,
whom they credit for inspiring their dog rescue work, according to People.
Vanderpump was head over heels for the pup, but Todd was virtually inseparable from the pooch.
He doted on Giggy nonstop, chose outfits for him, and carried him everywhere.
For several seasons, if Todd made an appearance on one of the shows, it was
almost certain that Giggy would be in his arms. Sadly, the much-adored pup died in December 2020.
Vanderpump and Todd continue to rescue dogs through their work with Vanderpump Dogs,
an organization they founded in 2016 to help improve the lives of dogs all over
the world. After becoming aware of the practices against dogs at the Yulin Dog
Festival in China, the couple decided to take on the dog meat trade there.
They work tirelessly on legislation, spay-neuter programs, and medical initiatives,
to name just a few of their causes, even as they dedicate themselves to
finding homes for their rescues at their location in Los Angeles.
One of the reasons that Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd have such a strong relationship
is because their mutual support is unquestionable. Vanderpump's involvement in TV series like "Real
Housewives" makes her more vulnerable to public verbal attacks, salacious gossip,
and combative storylines, but Todd is always there to protect her.
One incident had Vanderpump at the wrong end of a rude comment made by co-star Camille Grammer
regarding her oral hygiene. An irate Todd quickly came to his wife's defense. He said:
"To now attack her personal hygiene disgusts me. I could put it out here
that my wife's breath is as sweet as she is. I am the one who kisses her daily.
I should know. I am angry as it is a vile lie."
Todd boiled over again during an altercation that occurred between Vanderpump and James Kennedy
over his drinking. Witnessing a nasty exchange, Todd intervened on his wife's behalf, saying:
"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."
Vanderpump has expressed her appreciation of Todd's devotion to Bravo, sharing:
"I think that having that support as a partner is really an integral part of your security,
when you have someone with you, like he's here with me today."
When you get married young and stay married for decades,
health challenges are bound to arise. When it comes to Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd,
the last few years have seen both of them facing major health issues.
In 2015, Vanderpump cryptically shared on Twitter
that Todd was going through something serious. She wrote:
"Will be off Twitter for a couple of days, concentrating on my darling husband"
Turns out that he was having hip replacement surgery, as reported by TMZ. Fortunately,
Todd recovered well and was able to support his wife when she had a mishap later on.
In 2022, Todd watched in horror as his wife, an avid equestrienne, was bucked off one of
her horses. After being taken to the hospital and undergoing surgery, Vanderpump doesn't
appear ready to get back on a horse anytime soon, but she did say in an Instagram post:
"Thank you for all the well wishes and beautiful flowers,
I am doing much better after surgery! 4 fractures in my leg and a badly bruised back,
but I am on the road to recovery! I will be back in the saddle of life soon!"
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