What Is the Lisa Barlow Lawsuit?
The Lisa Barlow lawsuit is a private civil case accusing the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star of failing to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal loans, not a class action or multidistrict litigation. It involves one plaintiff, a former friend and business partner, against Barlow and two of her companies.
Park City homebuilder Bart Carlson and his company, Yukon Construction, filed the suit on June 19, 2024, in Utah's 3rd District Court in Salt Lake City. The complaint names Barlow personally along with her marketing company, Luxe Marketing, and her tequila brand, Vida Tequila, and claims the three of them together owe Carlson $410,842.36 in unpaid loans made between 2010 and 2018.
Barlow denied the allegations through her publicist when the suit was filed, and her attorneys had asked a judge to dismiss the case by August 2024. Barlow has since said publicly that this case and other civil suits against her were dismissed, though no independently verified court record confirms a final ruling as of this writing.
Why Was the Lisa Barlow Lawsuit Filed?
The Lisa Barlow lawsuit was filed because Carlson alleges Barlow asked him for repeated loans starting around May 2010, telling him she and her companies were "experiencing severe financial difficulties," and then never paid the money back. His complaint pleads breach of an informal loan agreement and unjust enrichment against Barlow, Vida Tequila, and Luxe Marketing.
According to the complaint, Carlson agreed not to set a fixed repayment date because of his roughly two-decade friendship with Barlow and her family, and continued advancing funds through February 2018, bringing the total to $410,842.36. Carlson says he tried for years afterward to collect the debt, including one instance where he texted Barlow asking for a wire transfer and she replied only "OVERWHELMED," with a palm-face emoji, according to reporting on the complaint.
Barlow's publicist issued a statement at the time calling Carlson a former restaurant business partner rather than a lender, saying, "I pay my bills and obligations and I always have," and adding that Carlson "has no interest in Luxe Marketing or Vida Tequila and did not invest in either business."
What Harms Does the Lisa Barlow Lawsuit Allege?
The Lisa Barlow lawsuit alleges two legal claims arising from the same set of unpaid loans: breach of an informal loan agreement and unjust enrichment. Each is defined in plain language below, followed by what Carlson's complaint specifically alleges. Barlow disputes both claims and says she owes him nothing.
Breach of Loan Agreement
Breach of a loan agreement is a legal claim that a borrower failed to repay money advanced under an agreed arrangement, even when that arrangement was informal or unwritten.
Carlson's complaint alleges he and Barlow had an ongoing informal understanding that he would loan her and her companies money as needed, without a set repayment date, based on their long friendship, and that Barlow stopped repaying despite years of requests. Barlow disputes that any binding loan arrangement existed on the terms Carlson describes.
Unjust Enrichment
Unjust enrichment is a legal claim that a defendant received a financial benefit it would be unfair to keep without paying for it, used when no formal contract fully covers the dispute.
Carlson's complaint alleges Barlow, Vida Tequila, and Luxe Marketing were "unjustly enriched" by using his loaned funds to stay financially afloat between 2010 and 2018 without repaying him. Barlow's publicist responded that Carlson never held an ownership stake in either company and did not invest in them, disputing the premise that he was owed anything beyond a personal loan, if any.
What Is the Current Status of the Lisa Barlow Lawsuit?
The current status of the Lisa Barlow lawsuit is reported as closed, based on Barlow's own public statements and media coverage rather than a court record independently reviewed for this page. Carlson filed the case in June 2024, and Barlow's attorneys moved to dismiss it by that August.
Bart Carlson and Yukon Construction v. Lisa Barlow
Carlson and his company, Yukon Construction, filed suit against Barlow, Vida Tequila, and Luxe Marketing in Utah's 3rd District Court on June 19, 2024. Barlow denied the allegations through her publicist the same week the suit became public.
| Court | Utah's 3rd District Court, Salt Lake City (state court, not federal) |
| Filed | June 19, 2024 |
| Plaintiffs | Bart Carlson and Yukon Construction |
| Defendants | Lisa Barlow, Vida Tequila, and Luxe Marketing |
| Amount Sought | $410,842.36 |
| Reported Outcome | Motion to dismiss filed by August 2024; Barlow has since said publicly the case was dismissed |
The Salt Lake Tribune reported in August 2024 that Barlow's attorneys had asked a judge to dismiss the case. Barlow later told Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen, in an October 28, 2025 appearance, that all of her civil lawsuits, including this one, had been dismissed, describing them as "civil lawsuits" rather than criminal matters.
Did Lisa Barlow Settle or Win the Loan Lawsuit?
Unclear. Lisa Barlow has publicly described this lawsuit as dismissed rather than settled, but no confirmed court ruling or settlement agreement has been independently verified for this page.
Barlow's attorneys sought dismissal of the case by August 2024, and Barlow told Watch What Happens Live in October 2025 that her civil lawsuits had been resolved in her favor, calling online claims that she faced jail time inaccurate since these are civil, not criminal, matters. Whether the case ended in a formal court dismissal, a private settlement, or something else has not been confirmed through a court record reviewed for this page.
During a Season 6 cast luncheon that RHOSLC covered on camera, Barlow displayed posters of redacted court documents stamped "DISMISSED" to argue her point to castmates, several of whom, including Whitney Rose, questioned whether the display actually proved the cases were resolved.
Lisa Barlow Lawsuit Updates and Case Status
Lisa Barlow lawsuit updates have mostly come from Barlow's own public statements rather than new court filings. As of late 2025, she maintains that every civil suit filed against her, including Carlson's, has been dismissed.
Lisa Barlow Lawsuit Timeline
Barlow Tells Andy Cohen All Four Lawsuits Are Dismissed
During a Watch What Happens Live appearance, Barlow told host Andy Cohen that all four lawsuits against her had been dismissed, emphasizing, "They're civil lawsuits; they're not criminal. I've never done anything criminal."
Barlow Hosts a Cast Luncheon to Address the Lawsuits
Barlow held a luncheon for her RHOSLC castmates where she displayed poster boards of redacted court documents stamped "DISMISSED," telling the group the lawsuits were "fanciful tales," a presentation some castmates, including Whitney Rose, publicly questioned.
A Second Lawsuit Over Vida Tequila Debts Is Reported
The Salt Lake Tribune and TMZ reported a second, separate lawsuit against Barlow and Vida Tequila over additional alleged unpaid debts, distinct from the Carlson case described above.
Barlow's Attorneys Move to Dismiss the Carlson Lawsuit
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Barlow's attorneys had asked a judge to dismiss Carlson's loan-repayment lawsuit roughly two months after it was filed.
Bart Carlson and Yukon Construction File Suit Against Barlow
Carlson and his homebuilding company filed a civil complaint against Barlow, Vida Tequila, and Luxe Marketing in Utah's 3rd District Court, alleging $410,842.36 in unpaid loans made between 2010 and 2018.
How Did Lisa Barlow Respond to the Lawsuit's Allegations?
Lisa Barlow denied owing Bart Carlson any money from the moment the lawsuit became public, and her attorneys moved to dismiss the case by August 2024. She has since described the suit, along with her other civil litigation, as resolved in statements made on camera and on Watch What Happens Live.
Barlow's publicist said in a statement when the suit was filed, "Bart Carlson was once a business partner in a restaurant in Park City and, I thought, a friend. I am deeply saddened that he has decided nine years after our restaurant business ceased to claim that I owe him money," adding, "To be very clear, the claim that I owe Bart or his company money is untrue."
On RHOSLC and in press interviews since, Barlow has repeatedly characterized the lawsuits against her as old news being recycled by castmates for drama, telling Decider in September 2025, "Bronwyn brought up lawsuits that are over a decade old. It's not like I have five lawsuits right now." She has maintained none of the matters against her were criminal.
Is the Carlson Lawsuit the Same as Lisa Barlow's Other Legal Cases?
No. "Lisa Barlow lawsuit" has been used in reporting and on RHOSLC to describe more than one civil case, and Barlow herself has referenced up to four lawsuits filed against her at various points, so conflating them risks attaching one case's facts to another.
The case detailed on this page, Carlson and Yukon Construction's $410,842.36 unpaid-loan suit, was filed June 19, 2024. A second, separate lawsuit over additional alleged Vida Tequila debts was reported in August 2024, distinct from the Carlson matter in its specific plaintiff and claims, though both involve allegations that Barlow's businesses did not repay money owed. Barlow has publicly referred to a total of four civil lawsuits filed against her without naming all of them individually, and has said all were resolved in her favor; independent reporting has confirmed the existence and general subject matter of the two loan-related suits described above, but not a full public accounting of all four.
| Case | Plaintiff | Subject | Court | Reported Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlson/Yukon Construction v. Barlow (this page) | Bart Carlson and Yukon Construction | $410,842.36 in unpaid loans, 2010-2018 | Utah 3rd District Court | Motion to dismiss filed Aug. 2024; Barlow says dismissed |
| Second Vida Tequila debts suit (related, distinct) | Not fully identified in reporting reviewed | Additional alleged Vida Tequila debts | Reported by SLTrib/TMZ, Aug. 2024 | Not independently confirmed on this page |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lisa Barlow lawsuit about?
The Lisa Barlow lawsuit centers on a civil complaint that Park City homebuilder Bart Carlson and his company, Yukon Construction, filed against Barlow, Vida Tequila, and Luxe Marketing in June 2024, alleging $410,842.36 in unpaid loans made between 2010 and 2018.
Is the Lisa Barlow lawsuit a class action?
No. The Lisa Barlow lawsuit is a single-plaintiff civil case, not a class action or multidistrict litigation. There is one plaintiff, Bart Carlson and his company, and no other claimants have joined the case.
Did Lisa Barlow settle her lawsuit?
It is not entirely clear. Barlow has publicly described the case as dismissed rather than settled, telling Watch What Happens Live in October 2025 that all of her civil lawsuits were resolved, but no independently confirmed court ruling or settlement agreement has been verified for this page.
Was Lisa Barlow criminally charged?
No. Lisa Barlow has not faced criminal charges connected to the Carlson lawsuit or the other civil cases she has referenced; she has repeatedly stressed that these are civil matters, not criminal ones, and no criminal charges have been reported.
How many lawsuits has Lisa Barlow faced?
Barlow has publicly referenced up to four civil lawsuits filed against her, though independent reporting reviewed for this page confirms the details of two: Bart Carlson's $410,842.36 unpaid-loan suit and a second, separate lawsuit over additional Vida Tequila debts reported in August 2024.
Does the Lisa Barlow lawsuit involve Vida Tequila?
Yes. Both the Carlson lawsuit and the separate August 2024 suit name Vida Tequila, the tequila brand Barlow founded, as a defendant alongside Barlow personally, though the two cases involve different alleged debts.