Kobe and Vanessa Bryant (Getty Images) |
SANTA ANA -- Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, have settled a lawsuit brought against them by their former maid.
A lawyer for Maria Jimenez, who sued the Newport Beach couple in 2009, said Tuesday that both sides dismissed their claims.
It's reported the couple paid Jimenez $200,000 to drop her lawsuit, which alleged harassment and verbal abuse by Vanessa Bryant. The Bryants also dropped their counter-suit as part of the settlement.
Jimenez claimed Vanessa Bryant "badgered, harassed and humiliated'' her and also did not provide her with health insurance or pay her overtime.
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 claimed 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 claimed 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.
In September 2009, an Orange County judge threw out part of Jimenez's lawsuit.
Superior Court Judge Kirk H. Nakamura ruled Jimenez did not have the grounds to sue for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The judge called the claim "superfluous" because Jimenez already sought emotional distress damages under a wrongful termination argument.
Nakumura also said the Bryants' conduct did not violate a basic duty imposed by law on all employers.
"This type of behavior is, unfortunately, part of many types of employment, and is to be expected as a risk inherent in the employment relationship.''
Jimenez also alleged Vanessa Bryant violated her privacy by watching her on video surveillance cameras when she was changing her blouse in a bathroom. But Nakamura dismissed that argument, given that Jimenez had known there were cameras in the house.
The Bryants were counter-suing for breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
A lawyer for Maria Jimenez, who sued the Newport Beach couple in 2009, said Tuesday that both sides dismissed their claims.
It's reported the couple paid Jimenez $200,000 to drop her lawsuit, which alleged harassment and verbal abuse by Vanessa Bryant. The Bryants also dropped their counter-suit as part of the settlement.
Jimenez claimed Vanessa Bryant "badgered, harassed and humiliated'' her and also did not provide her with health insurance or pay her overtime.
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 claimed 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 claimed 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.
In September 2009, an Orange County judge threw out part of Jimenez's lawsuit.
Superior Court Judge Kirk H. Nakamura ruled Jimenez did not have the grounds to sue for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The judge called the claim "superfluous" because Jimenez already sought emotional distress damages under a wrongful termination argument.
Nakumura also said the Bryants' conduct did not violate a basic duty imposed by law on all employers.
"This type of behavior is, unfortunately, part of many types of employment, and is to be expected as a risk inherent in the employment relationship.''
Jimenez also alleged Vanessa Bryant violated her privacy by watching her on video surveillance cameras when she was changing her blouse in a bathroom. But Nakamura dismissed that argument, given that Jimenez had known there were cameras in the house.
The Bryants were counter-suing for breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
