Everything to Know About Leva Bonaparte's Husband, Lamar Bonaparte
Learn more about the Southern Hospitality cast member's husband and long-time business partner.
On Southern Hospitality, Leva Bonaparte is the boss. But did you know there’s another boss around? While Leva may be the one who has to keep the staff in line, she makes any and all major decisions with help from her husband and business partner, Lamar Bonaparte.
Keep scrolling to discover everything you’ve wondered about the businessman (and his new, namesake restaurant).
Who is Leva Bonaparte’s husband?
Leva is married to Lamar Bonaparte, a Charleston-based businessman. Lamar is Leva’s first and only husband.
What does Lamar Bonaparte do for work?
Lamar and Leva Bonaparte have four Charleston restaurants. In addition to Republic, the two also operate Bourbon N' Bubbles, Mesu, and Lamar’s Sporting Club, which opened in fall 2023. (Lamar's Sporting Club used to be the pair's 1st Place sports bar.) All four restaurants are located on King Street.
In a November 2022 conversation with The Daily Dish, Leva said that she and her husband balance each other well when it comes to their leadership styles.
"He's sort of like a strong silent type in all things. Even when it boils down to the business, he'll kind of walk in, see what he needs to, and go. I'm more of the 'people person,' and I do try to go the extra mile," she added. "We don't always agree on how to run business... which I think makes us great business partners."
Leva said that Lamar looks at many business decisions as black and white, but she urges him to see things differently at times. "I try to let him live in some gray, which he's not comfortable with," she shared.
And, if need be, she noted that Lamar is the one who "kind of throws the hammer down."
"If he walks in, they know, 'Dad is mad,' and it's really gonna be a problem," she joked. "[Our employees] don't even want to see him here."
How did Leva Bonaparte and Lamar Bonaparte meet?
The Canadian met Charleston native Lamar while celebrating her 29th birthday. As she put it during an episode of Southern Charm Season 7, she was ultimately drawn to "his intelligence and creativity," qualities she found to be "a sustainable sexy."
But it didn't start out that way.
"I really didn't want anything to do with him at first," she shared of their initial meeting during a December 2023 interview with People. "I was very mean to him, to be honest. I thought he was cute and everything, but I was just dismissive of his romantic advances. I was like, 'You're probably full of sh-t.'"
They became friends first, then business partners, and then, in 2013, spouses.
When did Leva Bonaparte and Lamar Bonaparte get married?
Leva and Lamar wed in 2013 after five years of dating.
"We're very similar in a lot of ways," Leva told People. "We're both big nerds who love to learn. You'll never not catch one of us reading or listening to a podcast or something, trying to find the new thing. And we both get a kick out of turning something into something else. I think that's really what drew us to one another."
Lamar and Leva Bonaparte’s Son, Lamar Jr.
Leva and Lamar welcomed their son, Lamar "Little" Bonaparte, Jr., in January 2018.
"When I first had my son, I had a full panic attack because I thought, 'I have to put him in the tub every day for the rest of my life.' Now, putting him in the tub is what I look forward to,” shared Leva during the Southern Charm Season 9 reunion. "You have to break out of thinking certain things are monotony when they're actually pretty beautiful."
Does Lamar Bonaparte appear on Southern Hospitality?
Leva told the Daily Dish in 2022 that viewers might see Lamar "pop up sometimes here and there" on Southern Hospitality, but they shouldn't expect to see him too often.
"He's not a big TV guy," Leva explained. "I have to drag him into family photos. He doesn't even like pictures."
Lamar may not have as big of a role on the show as his wife does, but he is very present in running their businesses.
In Season 2, Episode 9 of Southern Hospitality, a throwback photo of Leva and Lamar appeared onscreen while she was reflecting on Republic’s tenth anniversary.
“It’s almost surreal and a little bit wild to think that we’re coming on a 10-year anniversary,” Leva said in a confessional. “We didn’t know if we’d make it, but we did it, and now I don’t think there’s a person in Charleston that can say they didn’t have some story at Republic."
Are Lamar Bonaparte and Leva Bonaparte still married?
Lamar and Leva are still happily married. They celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in 2023.