Kandi Burruss, the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star, is no stranger to the spotlight, but her latest drama is playing out in the courtroom rather than on Bravo. The singer-turned-entrepreneur and her husband, Todd Tucker, are embroiled in a fiery legal dispute with the landlord of their Atlanta-based Blaze Steakhouse. The battle, which has escalated to accusations of harassment and intimidation, centers around a staggering $190,450 in alleged unpaid rent and a contentious demand to resume restaurant operations. Us Weekly exclusively obtained court documents that reveal the messy details of this high-stakes showdown.
The legal saga began in March when Montego Pacific, the landlord for Blaze Steakhouse, filed a lawsuit against Burruss and Tucker’s company, Burruss Tucker Restaurant Group, claiming they owed $154,000 in back rent for the restaurant, which opened its doors in 2020. The landlord didn’t stop there, alleging that Burruss’ company neglected maintenance and repair obligations, forcing Montego to shell out an additional $56,000 to keep the property in shape.
But the plot thickened in June when Montego sent a bombshell letter outside the ongoing litigation, demanding the immediate payment of $190,450 and ordering the restaurant to reopen within five days. Burruss’ camp wasn’t having it. In a fiery emergency motion, her company accused Montego of using the letter as a weapon to “harass and intimidate” them and gain an upper hand in the lawsuit.
“It is unethical and against public policy for a party… to threaten criminal proceedings or judicial proceedings for the sole purpose of attempting to gain leverage,” Burruss’ lawyer argued in court documents, calling out Montego’s tactics as a blatant power play. The judge, however, wasn’t swayed and denied the emergency motion, with Montego’s attorney telling Us Weekly, “Montego Pacific believes that Defendants’ motion lacked merit, and we are glad that the Court agreed.”
Burruss, 49, didn’t hold back when addressing Montego’s decision to initially name her personally in the lawsuit. Speaking out, she accused the landlord of dragging her name into the fray purely for media attention. “They just put my name on there anyway so that they could get publicity for the lawsuit,” she told Us Weekly. Burruss clarified that the dispute boiled down to a disagreement over repair costs and who should foot the bill. “It was just a disagreement between us and the landlord,” she explained, noting that Montego later dropped her as an individual defendant.
According to Burruss, the situation is on track for resolution. “The rest is being worked out… it looks like we’re gonna come to some agreement,” she said optimistically. But the drama is far from over. Burruss’ company fired back with counterclaims, alleging Montego refused to accept rental payments unless they covered 100% of the repair costs. They also claimed the landlord took over the premises for repairs, effectively locking them out and preventing Blaze Steakhouse from operating. The counterclaims demand that Montego honor the lease terms and cease what they call “willful acts of harassment.”
The legal fireworks come on the heels of Burruss’ bombshell announcement in February 2024 that she was stepping away from Real Housewives of Atlanta after 14 seasons. “I decided I’m not coming back this year,” she told Variety, citing the network’s indecision about the show’s future as a factor. “They allowed us to sit around for a little too long… but during that time, I had started working on a lot of other things.” Burruss teased “nice, big projects” on the horizon, proving she’s ready to trade reality TV drama for new ventures.
Meanwhile, RHOA is moving forward with season 16, welcoming back Porsha Williams and introducing new faces Kelli Ferrell, Brit Eady, and Angela Oakley, with Shamea Morton stepping up as a full-time cast member. But for Burruss, the focus is clear: navigating this legal storm and protecting her business empire.
As the courtroom clash continues, all eyes are on Burruss and Tucker to see how they’ll weather this high-stakes battle. With nearly $200,000 on the line and accusations of harassment flying, the fight for Blaze Steakhouse is shaping up to be one of Burruss’ fiercest yet. Will they reach a resolution with Montego, or is this just the beginning of an even messier showdown? One thing’s for sure—Kandi Burruss isn’t backing down without a fight.