New details have emerged in the bitter divorce battle between the chefs of a popular Los Angeles restaurant as they continue to accuse each other of heinous acts, including animal cruelty.
Elizabeth Johnson, 32, and Will Aghajanian, 31, the chefs behind the celebrity hotspot Horses, attracted national attention earlier this month after she alleged he tortured and killed their cat in a divorce filing.
In documents filed last November, Johnson stated she had been emotionally and physically abused by Aghajanian, and sought a domestic violence restraining order, claiming she feared for both her safety and that of the couple’s dogs because she knew of ‘up to 14 animals’. he had abused.
Johnson claimed she did not realize that Aghajanian was abusing and killing the animals because she was psychologically abused by his explanations for the deaths.
Now a fuller picture of their relationship has emerged, with that of New York magazine Grub street reporting additional disturbing details about the couple’s history, which is replete with allegations of abuse and animal cruelty.
Elizabeth Johnson and Will Aghajanian, the chefs behind the celebrity hotspot Horses, are going through an acrimonious divorce
The couple’s restaurant Horses opened in September 2021, received rave reviews and was an instant celebrity favorite
Aghajanian has blamed Johnson for the pet deaths, claiming he is the one who was abused, claiming in a lawsuit that Johnson bragged about her father catching squirrels to drown them.
Along with the lawsuit, Aghajanian submitted screenshots of texts with Johnson, including one in which she threatened to kill their dog Pancho.
In a 2018 text, Johnson wrote, “If I get famous, someone will find out about pancskes someday [sic] or the cats.’
‘No. I love you,’ Aghajanian replied.
The shocking report includes testimony from sources who claimed to have witnessed Aghajanian’s alleged penchant for animal cruelty and a history of racist remarks.
People who worked with Aghajanian at New York’s Per Se restaurant told Grub Street that Aghajanian insisted on buying live turtles and slaughtering them himself.
Former colleagues at Catbird restaurant in Nashville claimed he once brought in a box of frozen rabbits and instructed his staff to carve into the animal’s skulls and extract their brains as part of a “project.”
When an employee said he was done with the project, Aghajanian is said to have said he just wanted to know “how long everyone would be doing this.”
At the same restaurant, he allegedly told staff that the only allergies there are are shellfish and nuts and that they should ignore all other allergies. Aghajanian is also accused of saying that “Hitler had some pretty good ideas” during his time with Catbird.
The couple were fired from the restaurant after complaints that they would fight in the kitchen and that Aghajanian insulted both Johnson and the staff.
During their time at New York restaurant Mimi, Aghajanian frequently verbally assaulted Johnson, with a former colleague saying she witnessed him scald Johnson with hot tongs.
A shocking report includes testimonials from sources who claimed to have witnessed Aghajanian’s alleged penchant for animal cruelty and a history of racist remarks
The couple accused each other of killing and torturing animals
In his divorce filing, Aghajanian claimed it was Johnson who deliberately burned him after becoming enraged over overcooked chicken, leaving him with a scar. A source close to Johnson denied the claim.
Aside from the abuse allegations, former colleagues of the couple also said their cats always seemed to die mysteriously. While working with Mimi, three cats died without explanation.
“I remember telling them like, ‘This is getting weird. Maybe you shouldn’t keep trying to get cats,'” a former colleague told Grub Street.
The couple also had a cat die while working at Catbird in Nashville. Former colleagues told the outlet they thought it was odd they got a cat because Aghajanian was open about his disdain for the animals.
Aghajanian has denied any wrongdoing mentioned in the Grub Street revelation.
Johnson and Aghajanian met as interns at Noma restaurant in Copenhagen before getting engaged in 2013 and moving to New York.
Aghajanian remains on Horse’s payroll, but has stepped away from day-to-day operations as Johnson has taken over.
Johnson has also asked Aghajanian to stay 100 yards away from their dogs, Pancho, Javi and Spud, according to the filing.
In her divorce filings in November, Johnson said Aghajanian alleged that in 2019, Aghajanian dragged her by the legs on the floor as she screamed and tried to resist.
The filing alleged that Aghajanian was responsible for the deaths of both of their cats.
“Will and I have had cats die mysteriously, including one in 2017 that I took to a shelter when she was seriously injured overnight. The shelter told me she had been badly abused, but Will denied it.’
‘I believed him. Then, last month, we got another kitten,” she wrote, detailing how it didn’t take long for that kitten to die, too, after he said he didn’t like it.
Johnson and Aghajanian’s Horses restaurant opened in September 2021, to rave reviews and an instant celebrity favourite.
It was on Eater LA’s “hottest new restaurants” heatmap for months, and the Los Angeles Times called it “a new modern LA institution” and “the most exciting new dining experience of the past year.”