Kate Ferdinand has walked away from her doughnut shop business following an 'ugly' legal row.
The former TOWIE star, 31, resigned as a director of Dolly Donuts earlier this month and has taken the shop's Instagram handle out of her own bio on the social media site.
Dolly Donuts' official Instagram account is now locked and private to its 4295 followers, with the shop's current bio reading: "Temporarily closed". Kate's pal Lisa Moralee remains the only active company director.
The business changes to the cafe, based in Bromley, follow reports last year putting Kate and Lisa at the centre of row with the company's founder.
Pregnant star Kate and Lisa were accused of pushing baker Aimee Clayton out of a business venture in 2022, with the fallout reportedly getting 'very ugly' by November the same year.
Kate became a director of Dolly Donuts in September 2021, alongside pal Lisa, after Aimee originally founded the company as a home-run business in November 2020.
The former reality TV star, who is married to BT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand, invested in the business after it launched during the Covid-19 pandemic but was accused in November, alongside Lisa, of offering to buy the founder's share of the company for just £37.
In April last year, Kate announced on Instagram that she had been working on Dolly Donuts 'for over a year with two other lovely mummy's' as she shared a reel showcasing the venue to her fans.
The cafe specialises in milkshakes, doughnuts, coffee and provides a welcoming location for parents and children to enjoy a treat together after school.
According to Companies House records, Aimee officially resigned as a director of Dolly Donuts on 11 August 2022 - just four months after Kate's Instagram post and the store opening.
Speaking with The Sun in November, a source claimed Aimee, 36, had launched a legal case after her partners allegedly offered to buy her out of the Dolly Donuts business for just £37.
"Aimee has gone legal after feeling edged out of her own business. Things came to a head and Aimee has launched a legal case. It’s got very ugly," the source claimed last year.
The publication goes on to state "Aimee refused to speak on the matter" when approached for comment regarding the source claims.
A spokesperson for Kate told The Sun no legal claim had been filed over Dolly Donuts, but did confirm lawyers were involved.
According to Companies House, Kate - whose occupation is listed as 'influencer' on the site - resigned as a director of Dolly's Donut Ltd on 10 February 2023, with Lisa the only remaining active director following Aimee's resignation last year.
The Mirror has approached a representative for Kate for comment on this story.
In April last year, Kate announced on Instagram that she had been working on Dolly Donuts 'for over a year with two other lovely mummy's' as she shared a reel showcasing the venue to her fans.
"So excited I can finally share this with you all. Here is @dollydonuts_ one of the projects I’ve been working on for over a year with two other lovely mummy’s," Kate began as she captioned the video.
The former TOWIE star continued to write: "As mums, with 11 kids between us we wanted to create somewhere you can bring your kids along whatever the age. Donut decorating for all ages, milkshakes & a place to chill for the teenagers & the best coffees & donuts for us parents for after school drop off!
"The donuts really are the best I’ve ever tasted."
Kate concluded: "We aren’t shipping yet, it is just collection & eat in but when we are I will let you know, now who fancies a donut?"
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@mirror.co.uk or call us direct 0207 29 33033.
