Woody Allen‘s former personal chef claims in a lawsuit that the filmmaker and his wife fired him because of his service in the US Army Reserves and questions about his pay, then “rubbed salt on the wounds” by saying they didn’t like his cooking.
Allen and Quickly-Yi Previn “simply decided that a military professional who wanted to be paid fairly was not a good fit to work in the Allen home,” non-public chef Hermie Fajardo stated in a civil criticism filed Tuesday in federal court docket in Manhattan.
Allen and Previn knew Fajardo would want time without work for army coaching workout routines once they and their dwelling supervisor employed him as their full-time chef in June 2024 at an annual wage of $85,000, the criticism stated. However he was fired the next month, quickly after getting back from a coaching that lasted a day longer than anticipated, it stated.
When Fajardo returned to work, “he was immediately met with instant hostility and obvious resentment by defendants,” in accordance with the prolonged criticism.
On the time, Fajardo had been elevating considerations about his pay — first that his employers weren’t correctly withholding taxes or offering a paystub, then that they shortchanged him by $300, in accordance with the criticism.
Allen, Previn and supervisor Pamela Steigmeyer are accused within the lawsuit of violating the federal Uniformed Providers 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 in search of remark.
Fajardo stated he was employed after being showered with compliments following a meal of roasted hen, pasta, chocolate cake and apple pie he ready for the defendants and two visitors. In accordance with the criticism, it was solely after Previn fired him and he employed a lawyer that he was instructed his cooking was less than par, a declare Fajardo stated was unfaithful.
