Woody Allen and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn, have been accused by their former personal chef of wrongfully firing him and then humiliating him by claiming they didn’t like his cooking.
Hermie Fajardo, who began working for the couple in June, said Tuesday in a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court that Allen, 89, and Previn, 54, canned him after he questioned his pay and took time off to train in the U.S. Army Reserves, the Associated Press reported.
Once they gave him the pink slip, he claimed, they “rubbed salt on the wounds” by saying they didn’t like care for his cooking—despite previously complimenting him on dinner he whipped up of roasted chicken, pasta, chocolate cake and apple pie.
Farjado said that his relationship with the couple only began to sour when he returned from his army training.
He said Allen and Previn were aware that he needed to take time off for the training. But in July, when he returned a day later than expected, the couple fired him, the complaint alleges.
“He was immediately met with instant hostility and obvious resentment by defendants,” the complaint said.
Farjado claims that Allen and Previn “simply decided that a military professional who wanted to be paid fairly was not a good fit to work in the Allen home.”
Farjado claimed that at the time of the firing he brought up concerns over his employers not providing paystubs and or properly withholding taxes. Instead, Allen and Previn shortchanged him $300, the suit claims.
Allen, Previn and house manager Pamela Steigmeyer are accused of violating federal and New York labor laws, as well as causing Farjado stress, humiliation and a loss of earnings.
Allen did not respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.
