Lisa Vanderpump Convincing Nene Leakes Not to Buy the PUMP Space Was ‘Lowdown, Dirty Move’

Talk about Real Housewives drama! On the Bravo shows, the cast mates are constantly battling it out about something or other, and more often than not it seems scripted just for the ratings. But according to an insider close to one of the celebs, there’s real tension between Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump and Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes. In a recent interview with Jenny McCarthy for her SiriusXM radio show, NeNe accused Lisa of tricking her out of buying restaurant space in West Hollywood, California — space that the restauranteur then turned into PUMP.

A source close to PUMP’s landlord told DailyMail.com that the accusations weren’t true, but now an insider tight with NeNe is backing up her story to In Touch. “It all started when Nene expressed interest in opening a bar in an empty space in West Hollywood,” they said. “She called Lisa for advice, who told her, something like, ‘Darling it’s a piece of crap and it’s too expensive,’ and convinced her it was a bad investment deal … According to NeNe, shrewd Lisa swooped in and rented the space which became her hugely successful restaurant and bar called PUMP, which is always packed.” However, another source close to the entrepreneur denied the allegations against Lisa to In Touch, saying “The same landowner from SUR had brought the space to Lisa’s attention.”

In the years since, the restaurant has become quite the hotspot — so much so that Lisa reportedly considered leaving the show due in part to her many restaurants’ success. “People from all over the world go there to see Lisa, who regularly holds court in the outdoor dining room, signing autographs for her fans,” the source said. “It’s not only a gorgeous space, but it’s profitable and has become a destination for fans of not only Lisa, but the Real Housewives franchise and Vanderpump Rules.”

While the source confessed that it was a “brilliant move” for Lisa’s business, NeNe seems to be taking it as a personal attack. “Of course NeNe is upset,” they told In Touch. “It was a lowdown, dirty move on Lisa’s part and NeNe wants her to own what she did. NeNe wants an apology. She says the rumors about Lisa being shady are all true and what she did to her proves it.” But the Atlanta star is going to get her revenge in some way, they noted. “NeNe never holds back,” they said. “And now she’s got Lisa Vanderpump in her crosshairs.”

Lisa Vanderpump has not yet responded to In Touch‘s request for comment.