Gordon Ramsay won $4.5 million in court after a judge ruled in his favor against a former business partner.
The judge in the case deemed Rowen Seibel, who opened a now-shuttered restaurant with the chef in Los Angeles in 2012, "not a credible witness," Page Six reported, citing court documents.
Rowen sued the "Hell's Kitchen" star in 2014 after their The Fat Cow restaurant closed. In his lawsuit, Rowen said Gordon "deliberately mishandled a trademark problem" for the restaurant. He also said Gordon "formed a new company with new partners and then secretly negotiated a deal with his Los Angeles landlord" to create a new restaurant in The Fat Cow's space.
He sued for $10.8 million.
At the time, the famed chef said Rowen orchestrated a "fraudulent scheme to freeload upon the renown and acumen of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay." He also called his former business partner "inept," "incompetent and dishonest."
On May 16, Page Six reported Judge Melissa Crane sided with the "Next Level Chef" host and ordered that Rowen pay $1.6 million as well as 50 to 70 percent of Ramsay's attorneys' fees, which totaled $5 million. The total payout comes to approximately $4.5 million. In disregarding Rowen's testimony, the judge ruled that he "fabricated evidence" and stated, "If a witness will lie to the court, it is possible he would lie about everything."
The court also believed that Rowen took kickbacks from suppliers.
A spokesman for Gordon said, "The judge believed Seibel was 'not credible,' that it 'appeared he fabricated evidence,' that he received 'kickbacks' and siphoned money and was 'incompetent in managing' the restaurant. Mr. Ramsay was earnest in his efforts to sever all business dealings as these problems with Seibel were discovered, and we're pleased but in no way surprised by the ruling."
A source close to the chef said, "It's been an emotional and stressful eight years, but Gordon feels vindicated by the judge's decision and can finally put this all behind him."