Max Boyens Claims Ken Todd Withheld Money From Him as an Employee: "I'm Doing Just Fine, Guys"

Some Vanderpump Rules cast members live on in the fandom well after their time on the show has ended. This is often because they're still connected to the show's stars, even if they no longer work at SUR, TomTom, or anywhere else that Lisa Vanderpump has a hand in. And this is the case for Max Boyens, who starred in just one season before he was let go, though he worked at both SUR and TomTom as a bartender.

Max is also close friends with current VPR star Tom Schwartz, so he's still generally connected to the show's stars. He's just no longer part of the Bravo series, and in an Instagram Live in June 2024, Max shared that part of the reason he left is because Lisa's husband Ken Todd allegedly withheld money that was earned by Max through his paychecks. And now, fans want to know the tea behind Max's allegations about something that he says happened years ago.

During Max's live stream on Instagram, when someone commented to ask why he left VPR. Max explained that Ken allegedly owed him $8,000, and that at first, he refused to pay it. According to Max, he took legal action and Ken eventually paid Max out of "good will." Because no further action was taken, and Max didn't go as far as to file a lawsuit of any kind, his allegations end here, and the issue ended when, Max says, Ken paid him what he said he was owed.

"I left the bar because I didn't like working there anymore, because Ken owed me money," Max said in the Live. "He owed me about $8,000 and he didn't pay me."

Max then says that after he got a lawyer involved, Ken paid him. But after that, Max parted ways with the business owner.

In May 2021, The Sun reported that Max quit as the manager of TomTom after an argument with Lisa and Ken over health insurance and salary disputes. This was also around the time when TomTom's opening was delayed, and staffers, including Max, were likely concerned about job security. This doesn't exactly line up with what Max said in his Instagram Live, but it does potentially add to Max's reasons for leaving not only TomTom, but VPR as a whole.

Although Max's allegations didn't result in a messy legal battle, this isn't the first time Ken and Lisa's names were brought up in relation to claims of poor business practices. In January 2024, according to legal documents, a bartender claimed that Ken fired him and defamed his name to future potential employers. The unnamed former employee also claimed that they, along with other bartenders, were fired after complaining about their working conditions.

Again, this isn't in relation to Max's claims after his time on the show and at TomTom ended. And to be fair, he claims he moved on. But that definitely hasn't stopped Max from answering questions with extreme candor when prompted.