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Kobe, Wife Sued by Former Housekeeper
stevek
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Kobe, Wife Sued by Former Housekeeper
Posted Mar 25, 2009 4:03 PM
SANTA ANA, California (March 25) - Kobe Bryant's former housekeeper is suing the NBA star and his wife, contending she was "harassed and humiliated," denied health insurance and forced to quit because of "intolerable" working conditions.
In one instance, Maria Jimenez says Bryant's wife ordered her to put her hand in a container of dog waste to retrieve the price tag of a blouse.
Jimenez filed suit on Friday in Orange County Superior Court. She says in court papers that Vanessa Bryant "badgered, harassed and humiliated" her in front of Bryant, the couple's children and others. She said the couple failed to provide health coverage, as promised when she was hired. She said she didn't learn she didn't have it until she became ill and sought medical attention.
The action seeks unspecified general, punitive and special damages, as well as back pay and overtime Jimenez says she is owed.
Rob Pelinka, agent for the Los Angeles Lakers star, did not immediately return a call.
Jimenez wasn't fired but her lawyer said she was wrongly discharged because Bryant's wife made it impossible for her to continue working at the couple's Orange County home.
"She quit but because the working conditions were intolerable," attorney William Vogeler said on Wednesday. "We allege it was a violation of labor laws that protect people from working in unhealthy situations."
In court papers, Jimenez says she went to work for the Bryants in September 2007 and left in March 2008. Almost immediately upon starting work, "Vanessa began a continuing pattern of verbally abusing and demeaning her." Jimenez said she was called lazy, slow, dumb, a liar and was cursed and screamed at.
After Jimenez told Kobe Bryant she wanted to quit he talked her out of it and elicited an apology from his wife, court papers said. But then, she said, the abuse began again.
According to the papers, Vanessa Bryant screamed at Jimenez for putting an expensive blouse in the Bryants' clothes washer. "Then Vanessa demanded that Maria put her hand in a bag of dog feces to retrieve the price tag for the blouse."
Although she gave notice, Jimenez said, Vanessa Bryant demanded that she work until her next pay day to cover the $690 cost of the blouse. Jimenez said she did.
Posted Mar 25, 2009 4:03 PM
SANTA ANA, California (March 25) - Kobe Bryant's former housekeeper is suing the NBA star and his wife, contending she was "harassed and humiliated," denied health insurance and forced to quit because of "intolerable" working conditions.
In one instance, Maria Jimenez says Bryant's wife ordered her to put her hand in a container of dog waste to retrieve the price tag of a blouse.
Jimenez filed suit on Friday in Orange County Superior Court. She says in court papers that Vanessa Bryant "badgered, harassed and humiliated" her in front of Bryant, the couple's children and others. She said the couple failed to provide health coverage, as promised when she was hired. She said she didn't learn she didn't have it until she became ill and sought medical attention.
The action seeks unspecified general, punitive and special damages, as well as back pay and overtime Jimenez says she is owed.
Rob Pelinka, agent for the Los Angeles Lakers star, did not immediately return a call.
Jimenez wasn't fired but her lawyer said she was wrongly discharged because Bryant's wife made it impossible for her to continue working at the couple's Orange County home.
"She quit but because the working conditions were intolerable," attorney William Vogeler said on Wednesday. "We allege it was a violation of labor laws that protect people from working in unhealthy situations."
In court papers, Jimenez says she went to work for the Bryants in September 2007 and left in March 2008. Almost immediately upon starting work, "Vanessa began a continuing pattern of verbally abusing and demeaning her." Jimenez said she was called lazy, slow, dumb, a liar and was cursed and screamed at.
After Jimenez told Kobe Bryant she wanted to quit he talked her out of it and elicited an apology from his wife, court papers said. But then, she said, the abuse began again.
According to the papers, Vanessa Bryant screamed at Jimenez for putting an expensive blouse in the Bryants' clothes washer. "Then Vanessa demanded that Maria put her hand in a bag of dog feces to retrieve the price tag for the blouse."
Although she gave notice, Jimenez said, Vanessa Bryant demanded that she work until her next pay day to cover the $690 cost of the blouse. Jimenez said she did.
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Comments
This scumbag lawyer looking to extort money through the legal system, should go on Jay Leno with his "sense of humor" - Working at a million dollar mansion as intolerable working conditions? LOL
Tell that to the two women that were tortured and abused in the Muttontown, LI, slavery case...their employers were multi-millionaires also but are now doing hard time in prison, and deservedly so..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>Working at a million dollar mansion as intolerable working conditions? LOL
Tell that to the two women that were tortured and abused in the Muttontown, LI, slavery case...their employers were multi-millionaires also but are now doing hard time in prison, and deservedly so.. >>
My point was every time some farmhand gets told to cleanup the pigsty, the farmhand is gonna sue the farmer? If you're paid to be a housekeeper then it usually involves cleaning and yes that includes picking up dog-do, scrubbing toilets, and other dirty things...if ya don't wanna do it then don't be a housekeeper. This is a frivolous lawsuit and this scumbag lawyer should be ashamed of himself for filing it, but as long as this country turns out way too many lawyers instead of other professions such as engineers, then instead of this lawyer being an engineer and using his time inventing or designing products to increase the US manufacturing base, we're all suing each other with ridiculous lawsuits, and increasing the cost of the legal system paid for by the taxpayers.
I guess it shouldn't be any surprise that with King Obama, himself a lawyer, I don't remember him once mentioning the need for tort reform in the legal system, in which no doubt constant lawsuits or the threat of being sued, is definitely responsible for a good part of the high, rising cost of health care, and meanwhile the US government is printing money and spending itself into debt oblivion. Oh well...buy gold, right?
The only "possible" valid case here is the "promise" about the medical benefits and unless that was in writing, I don't believe the housekeeper. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if this isn't the first time this housekeeper has filed a frivolous complaint against others.
<< <i> the $690 cost of the blouse. >>
Vanessa is clearly rational.
Steve, there's a big difference between cleaning the pigsty and being abused by your employers like the victims were in the case that I was alluding to...I'm sure even a dense Philly fan like yourself can appreciate the difference, unless you condone such abuse, LOL..
I don't know the facts of the Kobe housekeeper's complaint, and she may very well be filing a totally baseless and frivolous lawsuit..the point of my previous post was that working conditions can be deplorable in even the most opulent of settings..and the president has nothing to do with it, BTW..
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
/s/ JackWESQ
Edit: To correct the web address for OC Superior Court.
<< <i>My point was every time some farmhand gets told to cleanup the pigsty, the farmhand is gonna sue the farmer? I
Steve, there's a big difference between cleaning the pigsty and being abused by your employers like the victims were in the case that I was alluding to...I'm sure even a dense Philly fan like yourself can appreciate the difference, unless you condone such abuse, LOL..
I don't know the facts of the Kobe housekeeper's complaint, and she may very well be filing a totally baseless and frivolous lawsuit..the point of my previous post was that working conditions can be deplorable in even the most opulent of settings..and the president has nothing to do with it, BTW..
Why are ya being silly like I don't "understand" or have empathy for the case you mentioned? Come on now...and there is not a substantial comparison between these two cases...one case was criminal and the Kobe case is a civil lawsuit, and in my opinion a frivolous one at that...just my opinion and I'm sure they'll be more news about this unless the scumbag lawyer figures enough is enough and he won't be able to extort money from Kobe, and ducks out of this case quickly.
You must be "practicing" your smack talk for the coming baseball season.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>If you like, you can follow the status of Ms. Jimenez' wrongful termination lawsuit against against Kobe, Vanessa and Kobe Family Entertainment, Inc. (huh?!) at the website for the Orange County Superior Court. And if you feel up to it, you can contact Ms. Jimenez through her attorneys at Gruenbeck & Vogeler or Mr. Vogeler directly.
/s/ JackWESQ >>
The lawyer website doesn't have the look of a typical scumbag traffic accident chasing law firm, although there are tidbits of scumbagness on there - I think it was a very poor choice for them to take this case.
<< <i>I didn't mean to imply that there was any connection between this case and the one I referred to...my only point was that working conditions in a "million dollar mansion" as you put it can indeed be "intolerable" (as you also put it)...nevermind, I suppose there's not much going on in sports till April so these threads are all I have to respond to...
I've been getting so antsy for some baseball and smack talk, that I've been outside today madly shouting at and chasing away the squirrels who dared try and steal seeds from my bird feeder. LOL
/s/ JackWESQ
<< <i>Would anyone be interested in reading a copy of the complaint? If so, I believe I can get a copy via public records. If not, thank you for your time.
/s/ JackWESQ >>
I already got a copy...here it is:
I, Mr Scumbag attorney, do hereby file this frivolous lawsuit against one Kobe Bryant, a defendant with deep pockets who I'm hoping to run up his legal defense fees to the point whereby he will find it cheaper and easier to settle with me, rather than continuing with this expensive, time consuming charade, which doesn't bother me because other than a little secretarial cost and my time, I've got no costs involved so I will continue to look for pockets of opportunity such as this so I can further extort money from people through the legal system, and raise health care costs, insurance costs, business costs, product costs and other costs through the roof which helps lead to a further decline in American society, but what do I care because I get filthy rich, because most legislators are lawyers are therefore don't want to pass adequate tort reform and risk being badmouthed by their fellow lawyer buddies. Ha Ha...now pay me Kobe!
So what's wrong with bein' a farmhand!?!?