The controversial TV chef Gordon Ramsay has reportedly filed a defamation lawsuit against one of his former associates over claims that he was “too busy” to promote their Canadian restaurant.
Danny Lavy has made comments in which he claims that the celebrity chef failed to promote their business, the Laurier Gordon Ramsay restaurant in Montreal, on TV chat shows and was even “too busy to come to the restaurant”. He has now cancelled the contract and dropped Ramsay’s name from the venture.
In a new lawsuit, Ramsay claimed that Lavy’s comments were “false and defamatory” and said that he believed his role was to come up with recipe ideas and to lend his name to the restaurant. He did not believe he was under any obligation to visit the premises.
The lawsuit states:
“Negative and critical public comments regarding the plaintiff could have the effect of decreasing the commercial value of his name and any commercial ventures associated with it”.
Ramsay is now pursuing £1.5 million in damages from Lavy, who may need to rely on a professional indemnity insurance payout if he should lose the case.