Nicollette Sheridan: Marc Cherry Attacked Me 'Because He is a Homosexual Man'

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Yesterday brought us a bombshell lawsuit filed by Nicollette Sheridan against Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry, alleging that she was wrongfully fired from the show in the wake of a physical assault by Cherry. In the wake of any additional news today, I decided to examine the lawsuit in greater depth, and I'm surprised that one of Sheridan's charges -- unlawful discrimination based on sexual orientation -- isn't attracting greater attention.

The allegation is contained in Sheridan's fourth cause of action, fully explicated as "unlawful discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and age." In it, Sheridan notes a post-firing interview that Cherry gave where he noted that "We will find a new kind of sexiness through Wisteria Lane. What we won't do is cast another fortysomething sexy blonde."

Still, the most provocative part of the charge is the one where Sheridan alleges the following:

ABC and Cherry harassed Sheridan, discriminated against her, and ultimately terminated her on account of her sex, her sexual orientation, and her age.

Cherry's treatment of Sheridan, including his physical assault and battery of her, occurred because he is a homosexual man and she is a heterosexual woman.

A bold statement! However, the contents of the lawsuit don't go into detail as to why Cherry's sexuality would have provoked him to allegedly become violent with Sheridan. Is the actress going to assert that being gay made Cherry a misogynist (or worse), or is she simply throwing out every charge possible to see what sticks, in the hopes of securing a settlement?

Developing...

Read the full Nicollette Sheridan assault lawsuit [THR, Esq]



Comments

  • sweetbiscuit says:

    It's bizarre. I don't see how you can back up a claim like that, even if Cherry routinely smacked all the heterosexual women on set. What I don't get is this: if the assault she's claiming is true, he should certainly be called out for that kind of behavior (even if it is a year and a half after the fact). But why would she muck up her lawsuit by making a statement like that?

  • TurdBlossom says:

    @ Sweetbiscuit - She's apparently a total harpy (surprise).

  • Citizen Bitch says:

    Complaints are as wide and vague as possible. Fingers crossed that this plays out publicly in court!

  • Derek the Queer Dude says:

    Glad she is off the show. What a sore loser. Disgruntled, a little?

  • happygolucky says:

    Next best thing to a good lawyer joke is a LOL headline using their own words.

  • MrsQuint says:

    Just read that Adam Lambert will be a mentor on American Idol. What are the chances he may bitch slap Ryan or Simon because he is a homosexual man.

  • BEVERLY says:

    HOW CAN ANY OF YOU FORM SUCH NEGATIVE OR BIASED COMMENTS WHEN THIS
    HAS NOT GONE TO COURT. NO DECISION HAS BEEN DELIVERED. I HOPE THERE
    IS OVERWHELMING PROOF, ABOVE ALL I HOPE HER CO-WORKERS SUPPORT HER WITH
    THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS MAN AND NOT FEAR FOR THEIR JOB POSITION.
    I WITNESSED OUR COURT SYSTEM MANY TIMES; IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE FAIR
    AND JUST, BUT SOME JUDGES AND JURIES ARE BIAS.
    I WILL NOT SUPPORT DESPARATE HOUSEWIVES UNTIL A DECISION HAS BEEN
    REACHED.
    THE WORLD IS NOT EQUAL FOR WOMEN OR FOR PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENCES. WOMEN'S OPINIONS, COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE NOT RECEIVED AS
    BEING CONSTRUCTIVE. WOMEN MORE THAN MEN ARE USED AS LACKEYS FOR
    PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS.
    I HAVE WORKED IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD FOR 59 YEARS, WITNESSING
    UNJUST HAPPENINGS BETWEEN WOMEN WORKING FOR MEN. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR ANY MAN OR WOMAN TO RESORT TO PHYSICAL ABUSE. IF THIS MAN DID HIT HER - SHAME ON HIM; HE DEFINITELY NEEDS JUST PUNISHMENT. IF SHE BROUGHT ABOUT THESE ACCUSATIONS IN RETALIATION, THEN SHAME ON HER.
    DISPERATE HOUSEWIVES SCRIPT WAS A WONDERFUL SATIRE DURING ITS FIRST
    YEAR, BUT HAS CHANGED COMPLETELY FROM WHAT IT STARTED OUT TO BE.
    I WISH HER WELL! SHE IS AN ACCOMPLISHED ACTRESS.
    RESPECTFULLY,
    BEVERLY, NJ

  • Mikey says:

    Oh gawd. You know, if you want to be taken seriously 'round these parts, follow a few simple rules:
    1. Learn to spell whatever the hell it is you're talking about (hint: it's Desperate Housewives, not desparate)
    2. Remember that Masterpiece Theatre is supported by viewers like you (well, not you specifically; I don't think you can even spell PBS) but that your threat of witheld viewer support isn't going to keep anyone at ABC up at night.
    3. While it is always upsetting to encounter a commentator who screeches in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, it's even worse to encounter one from New Jersey. Please, at least promise us that you didn't make this comment from an iPad.
    thanks love ya mean it

  • Nick says:

    But he would be slapping his own kind, so that's OK.

  • SunnydaZe says:

    Breaking> It was just announced that the official theme of this year's Gay pride parade will be, "Smack My Bitch up".

  • Parker says:

    Come on... The whole show is populated with women over forty. Sheridan was taken out of the show because her character had already become irrelevant. If Cherry had an agenda against women over forty, the whole cast would have already been fired.

  • pat says:

    Unfortunately, there are bad bosses everywhere. The best way to avoid hostile workplaces is by doing research about potential bosses on sites like eBossWatch http://www.eBossWatch.com

  • Mike Burns says:

    Well, I certainly hope she filed a complaint with the police at the time of this alleged assault & battery and an arrest was made. Because just mentioning it in a lawsuit filed months afterward with the intent of proving damages of $20 million seems a little, well, odd.

  • Danielle in Los Angeles says:

    This is comedy! A cougar attacked by a fairy!

  • lucas says:

    according to various sources it seems she did file a complaint but nothing happened because the police said it was without merit.
    and really if Marc is that nasty cause he's some kind of violent and woman hating homo, don't you think we would have heard more about him in the last few years. At the very least folks wouldn't be heaping on the love and praise like they have. But instead would be very careful to be neutral.

  • Dancing With Illuminati says:

    What's an iPad? It sounds like a new brand of Kotex that can give you a gynecological exam.
    Or is it like an eye patch but improved to be a really thick pad for covering one eye? That sounds right, because a lot of people seem blind to truth. They don't seem to know how to do any research on any subject at all. That explains why so many off-the wall and rash comments are being made.
    Disney fires you if you complain, that's what they do without any hesitation. It's an arm of the military controlled by CFR, it always has been. Walk the line or walk the plank, like a good slave.
    I think the guys at the top somewhere above Cherry must have been rolling on the ground laughing while this nobody knocked around women and created a hostile work environment. Must have been good conversation at the golf course that a nobody could knock around talented celebrities.

  • Jermzy says:

    A gay mysognist? Wow, that's an original thought. Nicolette should consider a career in story writing rather than taking innocent people's money and being a homophobic bitch.

  • AVN says:

    I absolutely believe that Marc Cherry slapped Nicolette Sheridan because he is a gay male. Over the course of my career in Hollywood I have been subjected to verbal abuse by gay men who were in positions of power to employ me for work.