“One Life to Live” and “Days of our Lives” actress Holly Gagnier has been slapped with a lawsuit that reads like the script of a soap opera — particularly since it also involves “The Bold and the Beautiful” soap queen Hunter Tylo.
Gagnier is being sued by 80-year-old Patricia McCoy, who claims to have been the actress’ ballet teacher for 15 years, from the time Gagnier was six years old.
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In her complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court last week, McCoy claims that Gagnier tried to sabotage a potential movie deal between McCoy and Tylo, based on McCoy’s 1999 book “The American Dream Has Put Our Souls to Sleep.” The book, according to the complaint, chronicles McCoy’s professional relationship with Lorene Yarnell of Shields and Yarnell, who McCoy claims to have helped make the transition from mime to a ballerina.
McCoy claims that she struck up a deal with Tylo for a script based on the book, with Tylo starring in the potential movie. However, according to the suit, in September Gagner called Tylo’s manager and trash-talked McCoy in an effort to spoil the agreement.
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According to the suit, Gagnier told Tylo’s manager that McCoy has a history of “luring celebrities into contracts and setting them up with the intention of suing them for breach of contract,” and that McCoy was mentally and verbally abusive to Gagnier.
Gagnier also allegedly told Tylo’s manager that McCoy’s training creates a “cult” atmosphere that’s damaged many of her students.
Oh, and that McCoy “is promiscuous with men as well as a lesbian.” Which really just seems catty.
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Is this where the guy who supposedly died in a car crash 10 years ago suddenly walks in and announces that he’s really only been in a coma all this time?
McCoy claims that she confronted Gagnier about the call, and that Gagnier denied making the allegations. Nonetheless, McCoy claims, Gagnier’s actions were were “intentionally, heartlessly, and despicably calculated to destroy the personal and contractual relationship between Ms. Tylo and Plaintiff by causing Ms. Tylo to distrust Plaintiff and causing Plaintiff to distrust Ms. Tylo.” As a result, McCoy says, she has suffered “a loss of her reputation, shame, mortification, and hurt feelings all to her general damage in a sum to be proven at trial.”
Gagnier’s manager has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Claiming defamation/slander, intentional interference with written contract and other dastardly deeds, McCoy is seeking unspecified damages.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.