A chef at Hollywood hotspot Horses claimed in a recent divorce filing that her husband and restaurant co-owner tortured and killed their cats.
Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Johnson filed for a domestic violence restraining order against Will Aghajanian in November 2022, The Los Angeles Times reported.
She alleged that Aghajanian joked about feeding their kitten coyotes, then saw him “shake him violently” and he died the next day. Aghajanian put the dead cat in the trash and insisted on keeping the corpse in the house,” she wrote.
Johnson also claimed that Aghajanian’s “mental and psychological abuse” prevented her from realizing what he was doing to animals before it was too late.
Aghajanian denied the horrific claims in court documents, calling them “false allegations”. He then claimed he was the victim of the wedding and said Johnson repeatedly threatened to kill him and burned him at least twice with a metal spatula and spoon she first placed in a deep fryer, according to court documents.
Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Johnson, chef of Hollywood hotspot Horses, claimed in a divorce filing that her husband Will Aghajanian, who also co-owns the restaurant, tortured and killed their cats.
Johnson and Aghajanian’s Horses restaurant opened in September 2021, received rave reviews and was an instant celebrity favorite
Johnson and Aghajanian’s Horses Restaurant opened in September 2021 to rave reviews and was an instant celebrity favourite.
It was on Eater LA’s “heat map” of “hottest new restaurants” for months and the Los Angeles Times called it “LA’s new modern institution” and “most exhilarating new dining experience.” of the city over the past year”.
But the co-chefs, who have previously been trained at Copenhagen’s Noma, which is widely hailed as the best restaurant in the world, have reportedly been at odds for years.
Johnson filed for a restraining order in November 2022 to keep Aghajanian away from her because she claimed he repeatedly physically assaulted her while they were together.
She alleged that in 2019, Aghajanian dragged her by her legs on the floor as she screamed and tried to resist.
The filing also alleged that Aghajanian was responsible for the deaths of their two cats.
“Will and I had cats that mysteriously ended up dying, including one in 2017 that I took to a shelter when he was badly injured overnight. The shelter told me she had been severely abused, but Will denied it.
Horses had been on Eater LA’s “heat map” of “hottest new restaurants” for months and the Los Angeles Times called it “LA’s new modern institution” and “most exhilarating new dining experience.” of the city over the past year”.
After filing, the two were still allowed to be in Horses after the order was filed, but Aghajanian was to stay 10ft from Johnson, he was ordered
Johnson and Aghajanian opened Horses in September 2021
‘I believed him. Then last month we were given another kitten,’ she wrote, explaining that it wasn’t long before that kitten died too, after he said that he didn’t love her.
Johnson also asked that Aghajanian stay 100 yards away from their dogs, Pancho, Javi and Spud, according to the filing.
Aghajanian, who claimed to have been the victim of the marriage, said in the documents that it was actually Johnson who abused their animals.
“She falsely accuses me of things she did or threatened to do to me and my pets,” he wrote. “My pets are like children to me and I love them very much.”
‘I am afraid of [Johnson] since I am a victim of [her] long-term abuse that occurred throughout our relationship,” he wrote.
The domestic violence restraining order filed by Johnson was approved and reissued on May 1, according to court documents.
Even so, the two were still allowed to be at Horses after the order was filed, but Aghajanian had to stay 10 feet from Johnson.
