A former manager of The Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood is suing the establishment and its owners, demanding either the return of an Elizabeth Taylor portrait that he says the iconic actress gave to him or compensation for it.
Jesse Davis filed the lawsuit Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court against The Abbey and SBE Entertainment Group, alleging theft, fraud, breach of contract and unjust enrichment. He also seeks unspecified damages. The estimated value of the painting is $75,000, the suit states.
A representative of The Abbey could not be immediately reached.
According to the lawsuit, Davis met Taylor while working as a VIP manager at the nightclub. He often ate lunch with her there beginning in March 2008, the suit states.
“Plaintiff would shop and dine with Ms. Taylor and spend time with her at her home,” the suit states.
Taylor gave Davis a portrait of her during a visit to her residence in March 2009, the suit states.
Davis said he told Taylor he wanted to hang the portrait temporarily at The Abbey, the suit states. The actress later helped design the lighting that would shine on the painting, which received international press attention while displayed at the nightclub, according to the lawsuit.
Davis left The Abbey in November 2009 to work at another establishment that had the same ownership as his former workplace, the suit states. He remained friends with Taylor, according to the complaint.
On New Year’s Eve 2010, Davis visited The Abbey and found out that a drunken patron ripped the painting off the wall and was dancing with it, according to the lawsuit. The portrait was retrieved for him with the help of security and he took it home with him, the suit states.
Management at The Abbey asked that Davis return the portrait so that it could be used as a shrine after she died March 23, 2011, at age 79, the suit states. Davis reluctantly returned the painting, the suit states.
The Abbey management put a plaque below the painting that said, “Donated by Elizabeth Taylor,” according to the lawsuit. Davis would not have allowed the painting to be hung at The Abbey if he knew he could not get it back, the suit states.
In December 2013 an attorney for Davis sent an email asking for a return of the painting or compensation for it, but no response was received, the suit states.
