Last week we received a tip that Ms. Helen Coleman may have opened a new restaurant, The Rose Petals, in White Center, and called the restaurant for more information. We spoke with Betty Gray there, who confirmed the tip. However, today we learned that Coleman, in fact, is not involved in the new venture.

The Rose Petals indeed opened in White Center a month ago, and Coleman previously worked for Gray for about seven months, helping her launch the original Rose Petals on Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, according to Coleman. However, Gray led Seattle Weekly to believe that Coleman was indeed involved with the new restaurant, and that Gray was her assistant, and had been for many years—a claim that Coleman denied. “I’ve never had an assistant, and if I did it would be my daughter or granddaughter.”

When asked to speak with Coleman, Gray told us “she doesn’t come in until late,” and that most of the cooking would be done by Gray.

Coleman says she has never even been to White Center. I asked her if she’d spoken to Gray about this, and why she thought Gray would have misled a reporter. She replied, “She’s trying to capitalize on my name. She never even called me. That’s the sad part. I’m calling my lawyer about this.”

Coleman did confirm that she’s still looking to open her own place, but that she isn’t ready yet.

We called The Rose Petals to speak with Gray this morning. An employee said she wasn’t in and couldn’t confirm when she would be, but took a message. We will continue to try and reach her for more information.

Update: 1/12/15, 2:14 p.m.: Betty Gray, the owner of The Rose Petals, called Seattle Weekly and denied ever speaking with us for our original article last week on the re-opening of the restaurant in White Center, though her voice sounded awfully similar to the “Betty Gray” I spoke with last week on the phone. When asked who on her staff would have pretended to be her and provide an article’s worth of information, she said, “that’s not unusual. It could be anyone. That does happen here.” When pressed harder about someone potentially that untrustworthy on her staff, Gray replied, “A lot of them are untrustworthy.” Gray says that she hasn’t seen Ms. Helen Coleman in 7 or 8 years, though the woman who identified herself as Gray last week said that Coleman did work there, but only came in at night. She also said that she was Coleman’s assistant and had been for many years, and would be doing most of the cooking instead of Coleman. Gray maintains she “would not misuse anyone’s name or falsify no information.” As for The Rose Petal’s hours, Gray says they are not officially open and are only doing catering and delivery. “We are only open about two days a week.” The “Gray” I spoke with last week said the restaurant was already open for dinner four days a week, and would be expanding to seven days a week and adding lunch service in about two weeks.”