An anonymous former employee of “Expendables” production company Millennium Films is claiming the company fostered a “discriminatory, harassing and misogynistic work environment” in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The suit filed by “Jane Roe,” a former director of development at the company, alleges top-level Millennium execs including CEO Avi Lerner, head of development Boaz Davidson, head of production John Thompson and president of international sales and distribution Jeffrey Greenstein referred to women as “whores” and “mistresses” — as well as other less-charitable and more vulgar names — and dismissed female actresses as “too old,” “too fat” and “too ugly” when evaluating movie roles, behavior the allegations say did not apply to male actors.
The former employee also claims execs encouraged “highly inappropriate work attire,” including one employee who wore shirt skirts without underwear “so that private anatomical parts were visible,” and the company underpaid female employees relative to males.
Furthermore, the complaint alleges that Lerner’s “unqualified girlfriends” produced many of his movies and were given preferential treatment over female employees who were not involved in intimate relationships with the company’s senior executives. When the plaintiff protested, she was told that “the girls” were important because of their sexual relationships with Lerner — and also because of their ability to obtain prostitutes for Lerner’s friends and actors in Millennium’s films.
The former employee is requesting compensatory damages for the company’s alleged underpayment, other damages for “physical sickness, emotional distress, humiliation and mental anguish” and punitive damages for the alleged conduct of Millennium’s executives, as well as “injunctive relief” preventing the company from operating in the way the suit claims in the future.
Millennium Films did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.