Sharon Stone Sued By Nanny For Alleged Racist Remarks
Sharon Stone's former live-in nanny is suing the actress for insulting her Filipino heritage with derogatory comments.
A nine-page civil complaint was filed by the former nanny, Erlinda T. Elemen, on Wednesday, claiming that the actress had called Filipino people stupid' and warning the woman not to speak in front of the children so they would not talk like her, the L.A Times Reported.
Through the suit, Elemen asks for unpaid wages, damages and penalties. She claims she was not only ridiculed because of her background, but also her strong religious beliefs.
Elemen, a regular attendee of the church, was allegedly told by the actress that she couldn't read her bible in the house.
The former nanny spent over five years in the Basic Instinct star's house. Her Attorney Solomon Gresen told the L.A Times that she has wonderful memories of the children, but could not cope with the increasingly hostile nature of their mother.
Through her conduct, the actress made Elemen feel as if her ethnicity was offensive and would somehow adversely affect her children's upbringing, Gresen said. My client felt she was powerless to stop the behavior.
Despite becoming increasingly uncomfortable in her surroundings, Elemen did not quit on her own terms. She was fired by stone in February 2011 after the actress discovered she was wrongly being paid overtime, the New York Daily News reported.
A common problem for employees in household occupations concerns the receipt of overtime and other wages. When a celebrity does it, it only serves to draw attention to the fact that there are thousands of people who are being underpaid. Hopefully, the publicity generated from this lawsuit will be of benefit to others and will prompt some change in the lives of ordinary citizens, Gresen told the Wrap.
Stone's publicist, Paul Bloch, quashed the nanny's claim, calling her a disgruntled former employee who is merely looking for another opportunity to cash in.
This is a frivolous lawsuit for absurd claims that are made-up and fabricated. Sharon Stone will be completely vindicated in court, Bloch said, the New York Daily News reported.
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