Gordon Ramsay playing down restaurant rent row

A representative for Gordon Ramsay is playing down a rent battle between the celebrity chef and the landlord of his now-defunct restaurant in Los Angeles, insisting the matter is "unfortunate" but "inevitable".

The TV cook closed The Fat Cow at the city's The Grove mall in March (14), and his former landlord claims Ramsay broke his long-term lease agreement when he walked away from the restaurant.

The landlord has filed a lawsuit demanding $6 million from the chef, but Ramsay insists the legal spat is no big deal.

His rep tells WENN, "It's the unfortunate, but inevitable normal procedure following the closure of a restaurant."