Co-founder of Nightclub Empire Demands Her Share

One of Hollywood’s largest nightlife empires has found itself at the center of a legal dispute. A lawsuit has been filed by a woman who claims she was at the origins of the brand, which gained fame thanks to celebrities.

According to court documents, Marsha Molinari, who was a business partner of The h.wood Group for many years (the holding company that owns celebrity-frequented venues Bootsy Bellow, Delilah, The Nice Guy, and The Peppermint Club), accuses the company and its founders of stripping her of her stake after more than 16 years of working to develop the business.

Molinari, a marketing and branding specialist, asserts that she was a co-founder and equal partner alongside two other founders, John Terzian and Brian Toll. According to her, for many years she was publicly and privately perceived as an equal partner.

The lawsuit states that Molinari helped turn The h.wood Group into a celebrity nightlife empire by leveraging personal connections with stars, including Katy Perry, Rihanna, Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Robert Pattinson. These contacts, it is alleged, helped draw attention to the group’s early venues starting in 2009.

The lawsuit emphasizes that the celebrities are not accused of any wrongdoing and are mentioned only to illustrate how Molinari’s access, she claims, helped build the brand. Molinari states that she worked for years without a salary, invested her own money during tough times, and considered her stake in the company as compensation.

According to the plaintiff, everything changed in 2024–2025 when h.wood Group attracted large external investments totaling about $160 million. She claims that Terzian and Toll received «significant cash payouts» while she received nothing. Moreover, she was allegedly told she was entitled to less than 1% of the company, and Terzian, she says, stated that he «never» promised her an equal share.

Molinari also claims to have correspondence with Terzian that she believes confirms her right to an equal partnership share. In court, she is demanding her share of profits, a full financial accounting, and compensation for damages.

Representatives of John Terzian, Brian Toll, and The h.wood Group were asked to comment on the situation. As of now, no response has been received.