Hallmark ‘wanted to replace old talent’ like Lacey Chabert and Holly Robinson Peete, claims new lawsuit
AN age discrimination lawsuit has claimed that a Hallmark exec made a comment about casting “old talent.”
According to the lawsuit, Holly Robinson Peete and Lacey Chabert were given as examples.
Hallmark’s former casting director Penny Perry, 79, who worked with them for nearly a decade, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on the 9th of October.
She accused Hallmark executive VP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly, Senior Vice President of Programming and Development Randy Pope and Vice President of Human Resources Paul Hodgkinson of age and disability discrimination, as well as wrongful termination, retaliation, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In a goal to find “new talent” Perry has alleged that Lisa Hamilton Daly decided she was “too old to work her position,” and “manoeuvred to push her out of the company.”
Perry, who has been a casting director on movies and television shows since the 1970s, alleges that she said: “We need to bring in someone who knows more young talent. Our leading ladies are aging out.”
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Allegedly, Lisa Hamilton Daly specifically referred to Teri Hatcher, 59, Holly Robinson Peete, 60, and Chabert, 42, as “old talent” as well as several more.
She also allegedly said: “Lacey’s getting older and we have to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older,” and that “no one wants” Robinson Peete.
Adding: “She’s too expensive and getting too old. She can’t play leading roles anymore.”
In a statement to Variety and Deadline, Hallmark has denied the allegations.
The statement read: “Lacey and Holly have a home at Hallmark. We do not generally comment on pending litigation. And while we deny these outrageous allegations, we are not going to discuss an employment relationship in the media.
Perry claims she was abruptly fired in April after receiving strong annual performance evaluations.
She alleges that she was replaced with a younger man after being fired, after being told she was “too long in the tooth.”
Perry also alleges “vile and ageist conduct,” and says it’s “straight from Hallmark’s playbook when they sought to push out other employees in their 60’s and 70’s because of their age."