Sharon Stone's Nanny Boo-Boo: Sued for Harassment and Wrongful Termination

Erlina Elemen claims the Basic Instinct star belittled her culture and religion and docked her pay in retaliation for complaints

By Natalie Finn May 24, 2012 1:00 AMTags
Sharon StoneBrian To/FilmMagic

Sharon Stone's nanny diaries just got a little more dramatic.

The actress has been sued for harassment and wrongful termination by a former live-in nanny who claims Stone treated her poorly and, when she found out her employee was being paid overtime, accused her of stealing and immediately docked her pay.

Stone's camp, meanwhile, calls the accusations "absurd."

This lawsuit "has been filed by a disgruntled ex-employee who is obviously looking to get money any way she can," Stone's rep at Rogers & Cowan said in a statement to E! News.

"After she was terminated approximately 1 1/2 years ago, she filed claims for alleged disability and workers compensation. Now, she is obviously looking for another opportunity to cash in. This is a frivolous lawsuit for absurd claims that are made-up and fabricated. Sharon Stone will be completely vindicated in court."

Plaintiff Erlinda Elemen claims that Stone—who hired Elemen in 2006 and promoted her to "head nanny" in September 2008—told her not to talk to the children because she didn't want them to talk like the nanny and made comments that "equated being Filipino with being stupid." The Basic Instinct siren was also "dismissive" of Elemen's religious beliefs and forbade her from reading the Bible in her room at Stone's house, the complaint alleged.

In January 2011, Elemen alleges, Stone discovered that her employee had been earning overtime pay while traveling with the children or working on holidays and accused her of stealing. The suit states that Stone demanded that Elemen return the extra money and, when the plaintiff insisted she had been paid fairly, Stone docked her pay and cut her hours.

Per the suit, after Elemen confronted Stone about the way she was being treated, the actress ultimately fired her three weeks later, "on or about" Feb. 8, 2011.

Elemen claims that she has suffered and will continue to suffer "severe physical and mental anguish and emotional distress," and will continue to need the service of health professionals in a capacity that leaves her unable to work.

"Because abuses in overtime pay are common for household employees, it seems ironic that Ms. Stone initially did the right thing and paid Mrs. Elemen overtime wages, and then terminated her for accepting those same wages," the plaintiff's attorney, Solomon E. Gresen, tells E! News.

Stone has three adopted sons, 12-year-old Roan, 7-year-old Laird and 5-year-old Quinn.