Hallmark exec says leading ladies Lacey Chabert, Holly Robinson Peete are 'aging out': lawsuit

Hallmark Media executive vice president of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly instructed a erstwhile worker not to formed “old people” for Hallmark roles, saying that “our starring ladies are aging out,” according to a suit revenge against nan web this period and obtained by The Associated Press.

Penny Perry, a 79-year aged casting head who revenge nan suit Oct. 9 successful Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that she was wrongfully fired from nan web known its feel-good movies because of her age, and contempt stellar capacity reviews. "Hallmark’s happy endings are stories made for TV only," nan title says. “In Ms. Perry’s case, location was nary happy ending, and nary feel-good section to wrap up her profession pinch Hallmark. Instead, her finale section was marred by ageist and ableist harassment, and a callous termination which robbed her of her illustrious career, her pride, and her well-being.”

In a statement, Hallmark denied nan allegations, adding: “Hallmark continues to consistently formed and support positive, productive relationships pinch talented actors representing a wide spectrum of diversity, including actors who span galore property groups and transverse generations.”

According to nan lawsuit, Hamilton Daly told Perry that they needed to "replace" nan “old talent" including 42-year-old character Lacey Chabert, who has starred successful dozens of Hallmark movies, galore of them Christmas-themed, and portrayed Gretchen Wieners successful Mean Girls (2004), saying Chabert is “getting older and we person to find personification for illustration her to switch her arsenic she gets older.”

The suit adds that Hamilton Daly said of 60-year-old character and “Our Christmas Journey” prima Holly Robinson Peete: “No 1 wants her because she’s excessively costly and getting excessively old. She can’t play starring roles anymore.”

Hallmark countered: “Lacey and Holly person a location astatine Hallmark. We do not mostly remark connected pending litigation. And while we contradict these outrageous allegations, we are not going to talk an employment narration successful nan media,” a institution typical told AP successful an emailed statement.

Chabert stars successful a caller Hallmark movie, The Christmas Quest, slated for merchandise Dec. 1, and hosts nan reality bid “Celebrations pinch Lacey Chabert,” according to Hallmark's website. Representatives for Chabert and Robinson Peete did not instantly respond to petition for comment.

Perry herself endured ageist and ableist harassment astatine nan company, and Hamilton Daly — who apparently many times made reference to property arsenic a antagonistic property that did not fresh nan network's image — “told Ms. Perry she was excessively 'long successful nan tooth” to support her occupation astatine Hallmark,” nan suit says. It besides alleges that elder vice president of programming and improvement Randy Pope bullied Perry for her relapsing-remitting aggregate sclerosis by mocking her erstwhile she mispronounced words aliases names — a denotation of nan condition.

"Unfortunately, Hallmark treated a venerable Hollywood seasoned this measurement and we dream this action will lead to alteration successful Hollywood and each activity environments,” said a connection from Perry’s attorneys Lisa Sherman and Josh Schein.

The allegations get amid a play of turmoil for Hollywood, punctuated by historic labour strikes, nan pandemic, and nan streaming revolution.

___

The Associated Press’ women successful nan workforce and authorities government sum receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for each content. Find AP’s standards for moving pinch philanthropies, a database of supporters and funded sum areas astatine AP.org.