Rouge Is Suing John Bolaris Over Incendiary Comments

Former Philadelphia meteorologist John Bolaris, who finds himself the defendant in an impending libel lawsuit courtesy of the Rittenhouse Square restaurant Rouge (Getty Images)

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Rouge Is Suing John Bolaris for Libel

Well, that didn’t take long!

It was just one week ago that John Bolaris told me that he wanted to be sued in relation to comments he made online about Rob Wasserman of Rouge fame. And now guess what? John Bolaris is getting just what he wanted.

In case you need a brief refresher… John Bolaris and Rob Wasserman both found themselves at Cavanaugh’s in Rittenhouse Square last Sunday — but decidedly not together, as the former Rouge regular and Wasserman previously had some kind of falling out. That night at Cavanaugh’s, there was some sort of altercation between the two men. Cavanaugh’s kicked Bolaris to the curb. Bolaris tried to get back in — an incident that Bolaris naturally caught on video. And then Bolaris decided to let loose on social media, making all sorts of damning claims about Wasserman, including allegations about supposed activities inside of Rouge.

“Rob Wasserman is a piece of shit,” Bolaris told me last Sunday night after I read his social media tirade. “I hope he sues me.”

Bolaris got his wish. Sort of.

Rouge 98 Inc, the corporate entity behind Rouge, filed a writ of summons in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court last week, indicating that it is suing Bolaris for libel. What is unclear, though, is just what statements the lawsuit will focus on, since the plaintiff is the corporation — not Rob Wasserman. Given that Bolaris included Rouge in his rants in a disparaging way, the restaurant could have standing to stake its own libel claim against Bolaris.

Further clouding the legal particularities is that it sounds like Rouge may be in a state of internal upheaval. Back in August, Rob Wasserman’s Main Line wife Maggie Wasserman filed for divorce against Rob. Maggie Wasserman is the daughter of Neil Stein, the late restaurateur who founded Rouge in 1998, quickly turning it into the Rittenhouse Square hotspot. And it is Maggie Wasserman’s name that appears on the Rouge 98 Inc corporate documents on file with the state as well as on the liquor license for Rouge. Rob Wasserman’s name isn’t there. And Rouge insiders say that Maggie Wasserman has taken control over Rouge of late. I reached out to Rob and Maggie for comment on this story; Maggie declined and Rob didn’t respond.

Rob Wasserman and Maggie Wasserman of the Rittenhouse Square restaurant Rouge in 2023 (photo courtesy Hughe Dillon/PhillyChitChat)

For his part, it appears that Bolaris may be having some regrets. He deleted his negative posts about Rouge and Rob Wasserman last week. And just last night, he had the following to say on the service formerly known as Twitter: “Want to apologize to Rob Wasserman owner of Rouge for saying things that I should have never said. My bad. Rouge was my go to restaurant for 20 years. Sorry Rob — let’s have a great 2025. Life is too short. Sincerely, John Bolaris.”

A Controversy at the Franklin Institute

The Franklin Institute is best known for its giant heart and planetarium. It’s not exactly the kind of place that tends to be at the center of controversy. But the center of controversy is precisely where it finds itself thanks to a dispute over the Wright Brothers plane that the museum has had for ages. The family of the man who supposedly gave the Franklin Institute the plane wants it back. The New York Times has the full story on this saga.

Speaking of Museums…

Philadelphia’s Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History wants to become part of the Smithsonian family of museums. And it sounds like it very well could happen.

You Know We Love Our Rankings

And in this new one, Independence Hall claims the number two position for best-value landmarks in North America. It probably helps that it only costs a buck to get in there. So what beat us? The Pearl Harbor Memorial. Sure, but have you seen airfares to Hawaii lately? Sheesh!

And More Rankings…

You’ll never guess what singer is at the top of Spotify’s Wrapped list for Philadelphia this year. Yes, Taylor Swift. The Pride of Berks County is the most listened-to artist on Spotify in the city, followed by Drake, Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, and Kanye West.

By the Numbers

$3.1 million: What one Kentucky resident reportedly bet on Sunday’s Eagles game. He bet the Birds straight up, netting $442,857 on the wager. So as happy as you were with that dropped pass at the end of the game, just imagine how this person felt.

60: Approximate number of times each day that cars illegally pass school buses that are dropping off or picking up kids in Upper Darby, say the local police. Thanks to cameras installed on buses to detect this very activity, police have issued thousands of citations this year. I think I have the ideal punishment: Force the drivers to ride the bus with a bunch of rambunctious Delco middle schoolers.

61: Forecasted high for Wednesday in Philadelphia. Alas, heavy rain is also forecasted. And then it’s back down to a high in the 30s the next day. So not much to be excited about here.

Local Talent

Delco author Ben Yagoda is absolutely obsessed with the English language, a subject he has covered for the New York Times, among other outlets. Yagoda’s latest book is Gobsmacked! The British Invasion of American English. And on Tuesday night, he takes to the Swarthmore Campus & Community store for a chat about it.