Hallmark Exec Says Leads Lacey Chabert and Holly Robinson Peete Are ‘Aging’: Lawsuit

(AP) – Hallmark Media executive vice president of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly instructed a former employee not to cast “older people” in Hallmark roles, saying “our leading ladies are aging,” according to a lawsuit filed against the chain this month. and obtained by The Associated Press.

Penny Perry, a 79-year-old casting director who filed the lawsuit Oct. 9 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges she was unfairly fired from the network known for its feel-good movies because of her age and despite excellent performance reviews. “Hallmark Happy Endings are stories made only for television,” the complaint says. “In Ms. Perry’s case, there was no happy ending or feel-good episode to conclude her career with Hallmark. Instead, her final episode was marred by discriminatory and discriminatory harassment, and an insensitive firing that robbed her of her illustrious career, her pride, and her well-being.”

In a statement, Hallmark denied the allegations, adding: “Hallmark continues to consistently cast and maintain positive, productive relationships with talented actors who represent a broad spectrum of diversity, including actors who span many age groups and cross-generations.”

According to the lawsuit, Hamilton Daly told Perry they needed to “replace” “former talent,” including actress Lacey Chabert, 42, who starred in dozens of Hallmark movies, many of them Christmas-themed, and played Gretchen. . Wieners in Mean Girls (2004), saying that Chabert “is getting older and we have to find someone like her to replace her as she ages.”

The lawsuit adds that Hamilton Daly said of 60-year-old actress and “Our Christmas Journey” star Holly Robinson Peete: “Nobody wants her because she’s too expensive and she’s getting too old. “He can no longer play leading roles.”

Hallmark responded: “Lacey and Holly have a house on Hallmark. We generally do not comment on pending litigation. And while we deny these outrageous allegations, we will not discuss an employment relationship in the media,” a company representative told the AP in an emailed statement.

Chabert stars in a new Hallmark movie, The Christmas Quest, scheduled for release Dec. 1, and hosts the reality series “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert,” according to Hallmark’s website. Representatives for Chabert and Robinson Peete did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Perry herself endured ageism and ableism harassment at the company, and Hamilton Daly, who apparently repeatedly referenced age as a negative attribute that did not fit the network’s image, “told Ms. Perry that she was too old” to move on. his work at Hallmark,” the lawsuit says. It also alleges that Senior Vice President of Programming and Development Randy Pope ridiculed Perry for her relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis by mocking her when she mispronounced words or names, a symptom of the condition.

“Unfortunately, Hallmark treated a venerable Hollywood veteran in this manner and we hope this action will lead to change in Hollywood and all work environments,” Perry’s attorneys, Lisa Sherman and Josh Schein, said in a statement.

The accusations come amid a period of turmoil in Hollywood, marked by historic labor strikesthe pandemic and the streaming revolution.

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