NEW YORK (AP) — Woody Allen ‘s former private chef claims in a lawsuit that the filmmaker and his spouse fired him due to his service within the U.S. Army Reserves and questions on his pay, then “rubbed salt on the injuries” by saying they didn’t like his cooking.
Allen and Soon-Yi Previn “merely determined {that a} army skilled who wished to be paid pretty was not a very good match to work within the Allen house,” non-public chef Hermie Fajardo stated in a civil criticism filed Tuesday in federal courtroom in Manhattan.
Allen and Previn knew Fajardo would wish day without work for army coaching workout routines after they and their house supervisor employed him as their full-time chef in June 2024 at an annual wage of $85,000, the criticism stated. But he was fired the next month, quickly after coming back from a coaching that lasted a day longer than anticipated, it stated.
When Fajardo returned to work, “he was instantly met with prompt hostility and apparent resentment by defendants,” in line with the prolonged criticism.
At the time, Fajardo had been elevating issues about his pay — first that his employers weren’t correctly withholding taxes or offering a paystub, then that they shortchanged him by $300, in line with the criticism.
Allen, Previn and supervisor Pamela Steigmeyer are accused within the lawsuit of violating the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act and New York labor legislation, in addition to inflicting Fajardo humiliation, stress and a lack of earnings.
Representatives for Allen didn’t instantly reply to emails looking for remark.
Fajardo stated he was employed after being showered with compliments following a meal of roasted rooster, pasta, chocolate cake and apple pie he ready for the defendants and two friends. According to the criticism, it was solely after Previn fired him and he employed a lawyer that he was informed his cooking was lower than par, a declare Fajardo stated was unfaithful.
