Michael Papo/ZUMAPress.comApparently not all of Rob and Sheryl Lowe's employees have soured on the couple.
One of the former nannies who they sued for breach of contract and is now suing them for sexual harassment wasn't exactly a model of innocence herself, according to several declarations filed Thursday in Santa Barbara Superior Court, including one provided by the plaintiff's sister.
James Maclear, a chef who worked for the family in 2005 while they were living in London (and is not to be confused with the chef whom the Lowes previously sued), stated in court documents obtained by TMZ.com that the babysitter in question, Jessica Gibson, "had an overly flirtatious manner and appeared to be somewhat of a sexual predator."
On a shopping trip to Harrods, right after Gibson arrived in London, "she continued to be very forward and suggestive," Maclear stated. He also described a role-playing scenario Gibson supposedly enjoyed when she was carrying Sheryl Lowe's credit cards in which she pretended to be Sheryl and would call Maclear "honey" as if he was her husband.
Gibson would also flirt with him when his girlfriend was around, Maclear said, and she would "discuss oral sex with her boyfriend while the children were in earshot."
"Rob was a sweet guy, and I never saw him do or say anything sexually inappropriate or offensive to anyone," the Brit continued. "The only time that I recall seeing him speak directly to Jessica was when he told her that the Lowes were sending her back to the United States in November 2005," after which she "seemed ill and was skulking around."
Maclear also said that he never saw Sheryl Lowe do anything untoward, but that Gibson "would often call Sheryl names."
The portrait doesn't get any more flattering with a declaration provided by tennis pro Nigel Armstrong, who gave the Lowes' sons tennis lessons while they were in London.
He stated that Gibson initially came on to him when they first met and, while the then 48-year-old was flattered that a 22-year-old was interested in him, he told her he had a serious girlfriend.
Which, according to Armstrong, didn't do much to dissuade her.
"On one occasion...I walked into the kitchenette area [of the Lowes' home]. Jessica was standing in the kitchenette and had taken off her pants and underwear and invited me to have sex even though the boys were in the general area. I was shocked by her audacity. I told her that we could not do that and walked out of the room."
The declaration isn't clear on whether nothing ever happened between them, but Armstrong stated that she "started taking the relationship with me more seriously" although he firmly told her that he wouldn't leave his girlfriend.
"And even though I had never told her that I was moving to the United States, Jessica called me once after she left London and told me that she had found an apartment for 'us' in Santa Barbara."
Armstrong also attested to never witnessing any inappropriate conduct from Rob or Sheryl Lowe.
Gibson's attorney, Gloria Allred, on Friday called this sheaf of paperwork "an attempt to distract from the real issue, which is our allegations of sexual harassment by Rob Lowe of Jessica Gibson and retaliation against her when she complained of it.
"When the smoke clears, this is what the case is about and no amount of red herrings will distract the jury from deciding these issues."
And they'll be filing their response next week, thank you very much.
Meanwhile, Jessica's sister Jamie, who served as the Lowes' estate manager for four years until 2002, stated in her declaration that she remembers Jessica having to ink a confidentiality agreement when she started working for the family. Jamie also stated that she explained to her sis how she couldn't disclose any personal information about the Lowes to third parties.
Gibson has denied signing such an agreement, while the Lowes' attorney, Larry Stein, has since revealed that they currently can't find the document in question.
Per the filing, Jessica told Jamie in March—not long after Jessica resigned and barely a month before the dirt started flying—that the Lowes owed her $200 and, when she never received it, she accused them of sexual harassment and demanded $1.5 million in compensation, a so-called threat Lowe later indignantly blogged about on the Huffington Post.
"Jessica said that she decided on $1.5 million because she had heard that another well-known actor paid that amount to a woman who threatened to bring sexual harassment claim against them," Jamie stated.
"This conversation was the first time that Jessica had ever said anything to me about Rob Lowe doing anything that she thought was inappropriate. In fact, she had never once complained about him to me before this conversation."
And last, but definitely not least, Sheryl Lowe has also declared that she and Rob require all household employees to sign confidentiality agreements. She also denied "all of Ms. Gibson's allegations" against her.
As for her husband: "Based on my observations of Ms. Gibson and the information she has told me about her own interactions with men, I believe that Ms. Gibson sought attention from my husband."