Who Is Republic Owner Leva Bonaparte?

Viewers first got to know Leva Bonaparte when she joined Southern Charm in Season 7, and they were able to get a glimpse of her life as a busy wife and mom, and as a friend to the rest of the cast members.

Leva will soon be showcasing a different side — her boss side — on the upcoming series Southern Hospitality. The show follows Leva and the employees who work, mingle, and sometimes disagree at her hot Charleston nightclub, Republic Garden & Lounge. 

As fans get ready to see what Leva is like when she’s not with the rest of the Southern Charm crew, they may be interested in learning more about what her life is like outside the two shows. Find out about Leva’s background, her family life, and her restaurants by scrolling below. 

Her background

Leva has established herself in South Carolina, but she grew up in Canada. The Bravolebrity was born in India, and she’s of Persian descent. As Leva said during the Southern Charm Season 8 reunion, she has two sisters.

“I’m a control freak; I’m very bossy. My poor two younger sisters,” Leva said on Part 2 of the reunion.

Growing up, Leva was a skilled piano player. In an Instagram post from January, Leva shared that she actively played classical piano until she went to college — and she almost went to a school where she could practice to play the instrument professionally! 

“I was going to go from the Royal Conservatory of Music to become a pianist at university but decided to study Business instead..." Leva wrote in her post. 

Instead of playing the piano in college, Leva attended South Carolina State University. She graduated in 1999, and she sold software for her parents’ company for about a decade afterward.

Her family life

The Republic matriarch met her now-husband, Lamar Bonaparte, on her birthday. Lamar was born and raised in Charleston, and he was working in real estate development at the time they met. 

“On my 29th birthday, I went out and I met Lamar. I felt like I met a wolf I could run with,” Leva said on an episode of Southern Charm Season 7 in 2020. “We built things together, we were inspired together. I find his intelligence and creativity so attractive, like, it’s a sustainable sexy, and I’m pretty sure he finds the same thing with me.”

Lamar and Leva were friends and business partners before they eloped in 2013. 

The power couple have a son named Lamar Jr., though you’ll often hear Leva affectionately referring to him as “Little.”

Though Leva leads a life in the public eye, her husband is more private. He’s not often seen on Leva’s Instagram feed, and he doesn’t have a public profile himself. However, he does work closely alongside Leva, as the couple operates all of their restaurant projects together. 

Her restaurants

While Republic Garden & Lounge is the focus of Southern Hospitality, Leva and Lamar are also behind three other go-to spots on King Street.

The spouses also have Bubbles N’ Bourbon, a luxury bar and restaurant (which the Southern Charm ladies visited on Season 8); Mesu, a spot with Mexican cuisine and sushi; and 1st Place, a premium sports bar. 

You’ll be able to see more of Republic when Southern Hospitality premieres on Monday, November 28.

Watch Southern Charm on Peacock and the Bravo app.