A New York federal judge has ruled against Debmar-Mercury LCC and its leaders, Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus, in Kevin Hunter’s lawsuit.
According to RadarOnline, Hunter alleged wrongful termination as an executive producer on The Wendy Williams Show following his divorce and allegations of infidelity in 2019.
“The termination of [Kevin] was based strictly upon [Kevin’s] marital status and his impending divorce to the Show’s host, ignoring all of the contributions that [Kevin] made to make the Show a success,” the lawsuit read.
According to Kevin, negotiations for Wendy’s show began in 2007, and the initial six-week trial exceeded expectations. He also mentioned that he represented Wendy in talks with Debmar-Mercury, Ira, and Mort.
“[Kevin] was used to being behind the scenes of Williams’ prior ventures and used his business knowledge and street smarts to negotiate a significant financial increase from the initial contract being offered to Williams,” the suit reads.
Kevin also believes his work significantly contributed to the show’s success. He claimed credit for creating Wendy’s famous segments, selecting guests, boosting ratings through marketing plans, building media contacts, bridging the gap with the African-American community, and assisting in security procedures for his then-wife.
Additionally, he was the Executive Producer from 2007 to 2019 until he was let go because of his alleged affair with Sharina Hudson, with whom he now has a child.
To complicate matters, he alleged that the producers were planning to use elements from Wendy’s show in their new talk show with Sherri Shepherd, contending that this violated New York law.
The defendants denied any discrimination against Kevin or wrongful termination. They argued that New York law prohibits discrimination based on marital status, but they asserted that Kevin’s marriage to Williams did not fall under this protection and should lead to the dismissal of his claim.
According to The Sun, the judge refused to dismiss the case, agreeing with Kevin’s claim of marital status discrimination under New York law due to his impending divorce from Wendy Williams. A hearing is scheduled for later this month.
RadarOnline.com reported that the court’s positive ruling coincides with Kevin’s financial struggles due to Wendy’s ongoing dispute with Wells Fargo, which has caused delays in his alimony payments.
