As the recent controversy surrounding Noma’s founding chef reminds us, the restaurant world has been home to a host of unpleasant and violent behavior over the years. The controversy that emerged around the acclaimed Los Angeles restaurant Horses in 2023 stands out due to some especially unnerving details: restaurant founder Elizabeth Johnson accused her then-husband Will Aghajanian of abusive behavior towards her, along with allegations that he had killed several of the couple’s cats.
A sprawling AIr Mail investigation by Kelly Loudeberg revisited the case, delving into the initial accusations and the subsequent three years of legal clashes between Aghajanian and Johnson. Early in the article, Loudenberg calls the couple’s relationship “mutually abusive.” As for the pet-centric aspects of the case: “I found no evidence that Aghajanian had ever tortured or killed any cats, though both he and Johnson appear to be guilty of serious feline neglect,” Loudenberg writes.
Aghajanian also addressed some of the allegations against him. “I’m cancelable. But I’m not a cat killer,” he told Air Mail — along with confirming that he had both “said” and “done” actions he described as “bad things.” The whole article is well worth reading, and includes appearances from a documentary film crew, a spell of protection and a rat poison-infested basement.
Noma Founding Chef Accused of Violent, Abusive Behavior
A protest is planned for Noma’s LA pop-upOne of the many points made by this article is how widespread unpleasant behavior in the restaurant world remains. Johnson and Aghajanian were romantic and creative partners for many years, and their careers took them to several restaurants before Horses. Air Mail’s reporting includes several cases of extreme behavior from both of them at multiple workplaces over the years. And where did Johnson and Aghajanian meet? Another restaurant that’s been in the news lately: Noma.
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