A former executive at Columbia TriStar Television reportedly has sued the Sony-owned studio and her ex-boss, claiming she was fired because she married another executive at the company.
Reuters reports former Sony network TV production president Helene Michaels has filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Sony and studio president Len Grossi. In her complaint, Michaels alleges that Grossi began treating her negatively shortly after her marriage to fellow Sony executive Geoffrey De Stefano in May 2000. At the time, De Stefano was director of current programming; he did not report to Michaels.
Michaels told Grossi about her marriage a few days after it took place. "He was very unpleasant and indicated that he had heard about the marriage and hoped it was not true," according to the suit.
Michaels was later told by Beth Berke, Sony's executive vice president of human resources, that Grossi was very angry, her employment was in jeopardy, her husband should resign, and "that the way the plaintiff was acting was damaging to women."
