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Faye Dunaway sued for calling her assistant ‘little homosexual boy’
A lawsuit has been filed in Manhattan Supreme Court against actress Faye Dunaway.
The former assistant of the Oscar-winning actress, Michael Rocha, is suing her for discrimination based on sexual orientation and abuse.
Rocha claims that he was regularly subjected to “abusive demeaning tirades” from Dunaway and that he was referred to as “a little homosexual boy” and “little gay people” on separate occasions.
Rocha was hired by Dunaway as her assistant during her involvement in the play “Tea at Five.”
He was responsible for tasks such as shopping for the actress, ensuring she took her medication, managing her schedule, and accompanying her to rehearsals.
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Rocha worked at Dunaway’s Manhattan apartment and was paid $1,500 per week.
The lawsuit claims that Dunaway’s behavior was “regularly and relentlessly” abusive towards Rocha and that she would refer to his sexual orientation in an attempt to “demean and humiliate” him while he was at work.
Rocha states that he has a recording of the incident where Dunaway referred to him as “a little homosexual boy.”
Rocha reported the alleged abuse to the general manager and general counsel of “Tea at Five.”
However, the general manager allegedly told Rocha that any concerns about Dunaway’s behavior should be sent to the show’s general counsel, who did not respond to an email with Rocha’s complaints.
On June 12, Rocha received a call from the general manager informing him that Dunaway “is not comfortable with you anymore,” and he was fired from his position.
Rocha had not received any prior warnings or been disciplined for his work prior to his firing. He is seeking punitive damages, including attorney’s fees and other expenses.
The lawsuit also names the general manager and general counsel of “Tea at Five” as defendants.
In response to the lawsuit, producers of “Tea at Five” said that they had terminated their relationship with Dunaway last month.
The one-woman play, which charts the career of Katharine Hepburn, is in development for a West End debut next year with a new actress playing the role of Hepburn.
