Kobe and Vanessa Bryant (Getty Images) |
SANTA ANA -- Kobe Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, are counter-suing their former maid, according to court documents.
The Bryants are suing Maria Jimenez, 48, for breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
What the Bryant's are really concerned about is the confidentiality agreement they say Jimenez signed when she was hired in 2007. That agreement prevents her from talking to the press and others.
Jimenez sued the Byrants in March, claiming harassment and verbal abuse by Vanessa Bryant.
According to the original lawsuit, Jimenez worked at the Bryant home six days a week, for 10-12 hours a day, from September 2007 to March 22, 2008, handling a variety of tasks that included housecleaning, laundry and cleaning up after the couple's children.
Jiminez claims that after only two weeks on the job, Vanessa Bryant began a pattern of verbally abusing, demeaning, badgering and humiliating Jimenez by yelling, screaming and criticizing her in front of Kobe Bryant, the children and other employees.
Terms of employment included a salary of $50,000 a year and medical insurance for herself and her family, according to Jimenez. But when she needed surgery for an ovarian cyst, she found out she had no medical coverage, and her bills came to more than $120,000, according to her court papers.
Jimenez claims the final straw was when Vanessa screamed at her for putting an expensive blouse in the washing machine, then demanded that she put her hand in a bag of dog feces to retrieve the price tag for the garment.
Jimenez refused, saying she was quitting on the spot, but was forced to work until payday to pay for the $690 blouse, according to her lawsuit.
The Bryants say, according to the court documents, that Jimenez has broken her confidentiality agreement by talking to the press and they want her to stop.
Everyone is due back in court in July.
The Bryants are suing Maria Jimenez, 48, for breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
What the Bryant's are really concerned about is the confidentiality agreement they say Jimenez signed when she was hired in 2007. That agreement prevents her from talking to the press and others.
Jimenez sued the Byrants in March, claiming harassment and verbal abuse by Vanessa Bryant.
According to the original lawsuit, Jimenez worked at the Bryant home six days a week, for 10-12 hours a day, from September 2007 to March 22, 2008, handling a variety of tasks that included housecleaning, laundry and cleaning up after the couple's children.
Jiminez claims that after only two weeks on the job, Vanessa Bryant began a pattern of verbally abusing, demeaning, badgering and humiliating Jimenez by yelling, screaming and criticizing her in front of Kobe Bryant, the children and other employees.
Terms of employment included a salary of $50,000 a year and medical insurance for herself and her family, according to Jimenez. But when she needed surgery for an ovarian cyst, she found out she had no medical coverage, and her bills came to more than $120,000, according to her court papers.
Jimenez claims the final straw was when Vanessa screamed at her for putting an expensive blouse in the washing machine, then demanded that she put her hand in a bag of dog feces to retrieve the price tag for the garment.
Jimenez refused, saying she was quitting on the spot, but was forced to work until payday to pay for the $690 blouse, according to her lawsuit.
The Bryants say, according to the court documents, that Jimenez has broken her confidentiality agreement by talking to the press and they want her to stop.
Everyone is due back in court in July.
