One of Los Angeles’s trendiest restaurants is entangled in a divorce case linked to a series of disturbing allegations.
When Horses opened in Hollywood in October 2021, the Los Angeles Times described it as “a new modern LA institution”. The spot has become a celebrity magnet, drawing stars from Will Ferrell to Beyoncé with rich entrees, memorable cocktails and a cozy, pub-like atmosphere.
But this week, buzz about the restaurant took a dark turn when the newspaper reported that one of its chefs, Liz Johnson, had accused her husband and fellow chef of domestic abuse and killing the couple’s pet cats. He has denied the allegations and claims in court filings that she was physically violent toward him and abused the couple’s dogs.
Seeking a restraining order against Will Aghajanian in November, Johnson accused her husband of “torturing and killing” their pets: “Will and I have had cats that mysteriously ended up dying,” she wrote, including one a shelter said had been “seriously abused, but Will denied it was him”.
She described finding another cat injured, which her husband blamed on a dog. Later, “I caught Will violently shaking the cat late at night, and he died the next day,” after which Aghajanian put it “in the trash”.
Johnson also alleged Aghajanian had been violent toward her, including dragging her across the floor. She said he had been aggressive toward their staff, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and “one employee threatened to quit because of how scary and threatening he has been”.
Following publication of the LA Times article, the restaurant put out a statement on Instagram saying Aghajanian had been on leave since November 2022 and was not involved in the restaurant’s day-to-day operations, while Johnson continued to work.
Aghajanian has called Johnson’s claims “false” and told the Times: “I love cats, mice. And every other animal under gods/allah whatever each religion calls him/her.”
He says Johnson burned him with a spatula and spoon, and his mother and a friend each filed declarations in the case saying they had witnessed Johnson punching or kicking him. He also claimed Johnson had texted him threats that she would kill their dogs.
The restaurant did not immediately reply to a Guardian request for comment.
The sensational allegations have sparked endless internet discussion this week, but a day after the publication of the Times article, there was little sign of concern among diners still flocking to Horses.
There were hardly any reservations available at what Resy in September called “the hottest table in Hollywood”, and the restaurant was busy. Patrons and staff chatted in the upholstered booths and at the bar over gourmet cheeseburgers and Caesar salads. The mood was chummy as waiters and clientele joined in singing happy birthday to guests.
Leaving the restaurant, diners who spoke to the Guardian (and declined to provide their names) shrugged off the allegations. “The guy [Aghajanian] was fired in November. They took matters into their own hands and figured it out. If he was still working here until yesterday, that would be a different situation,” said one attendee, who said he was unaware of Aghajanian’s own claims against Johnson.
“It’s only a headline because it’s a headline, if that makes sense,” added one of his friends, arguing that it was the restaurant’s exalted status on the LA food scene that made the claims relevant.
Another attendee said she wasn’t sure she believed the allegations. “It all seems really out there,” she said. “If he is, in fact, killing cats, of course I won’t be here, but I don’t know that that’s true.”
But those attending the restaurant are a self-selecting crowd. “My friends honestly couldn’t believe that I was coming here tonight,” said another young woman. “But I had the reservation before I saw the allegations, and the burger’s so good – and think about how many amazing, hard-working people there are inside.”
