Aisha “Pinky” Cole ‘Real Housewives’ cast member files for bankruptcy, owes government $1.2M
Aisha “Pinky” Cole, a “Real Housewives” reality TV newbie and founder of the Atlanta-based vegan restaurant chain Slutty Vegan, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday.
Cole’s bankruptcy filing reportedly lists that her debts include $1.2 million owed to the U.S. Small Business Administration from a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan and roughly $192,000 to the Georgia Department of Revenue in Georgia state taxes, People reported.
Cole is set to her reality TV debut, as one of the newest cast members on season 17 of Bravo’s reality series, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” premiering in April.
The bankruptcy filing comes just months after Cole regained control of Slutty Vegan following a corporate restructuring in early 2025, when the company entered an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors—a state-level alternative to bankruptcy, Essence reported.
This action caused Cole to temporarily relinquish ownership before buying back the brand and its intellectual property weeks later, the website said.
Court documents reveal Cole’s total assets are valued at approximately $3.75 million, including several investment properties in Georgia and Maryland. However, Cole’s monthly expenses of $41,700 significantly outpace her combined monthly income of $14,583, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
Founded in 2018 as a delivery concept before expanding into a food truck and later brick-and-mortar locations, Slutty Vegan quickly became a sensation in Atlanta with playfully named menu items like the “One Night Stand” and “Sloppy Toppy,” Complex reported.
Cole’s company eventually reached a reported $100 million valuation and expanded to 14 locations, though the brand has since scaled back to just five operating restaurants, Complex reported.
In April 2025, Cole told Forbes that despite generating double-digit millions in annual revenue and achieving unit-level profitability, corporate expenses once totaling $10 million weighed heavily on the balance sheet.
