Revenge of the Nanny

Child-care worker being sued by Bruce and Demi strikes back with lawsuit of her own

By Joal Ryan Feb 03, 1998 9:55 PMTags
Somebody page Fran Drescher: Bruce Willis and Demi Moore are having nanny problems of the highest (dis)order.

A week after the celeb couple sued their former kiddie caretaker, the nanny has struck back with a lawsuit of her own.

Kim Tannahill alleges the Willises were the Employers from Hell--people who, according to the complaint, "shamelessly exploited and abused [her], through fraud, deceit, oppression, intimidation, threats and force." That, and Demi Moore once verbally "beat" Tannahill, too, the suit claims.

An attorney for Willis and Moore calls the suits, filed both in Los Angeles County Superior and federal courts, "gratuitous nonsense" and "just a response" to his client's own lawsuit, which accused Tannahill of misappropriating funds and defamation.

"A number of current and ex-employees will confirm that these allegations made by Ms. Tannahill are without merit," attorney Martin Singer told reporters.

The nanny's allegations? She's got a bunch of them: Upon being hired in 1994, Tannahill was "literally whisked away and required to engage in extensive traveling through the United States and the world."

Her social life was gutted as the Willises nixed visits from her boyfriend and family.

She was forced to work "seven days a week, and 24 hours a day"--with no overtime.

According to the suit, conditions at Casa Bruce and Demi worsened last year when the couple's marriage landed "clearly 'on the rocks' " and "prescription drug use by Ms. Moore...caused her to become extremely paranoid, delusional, temperamental and obsessive."

It was during this alleged haze that G.I. Jane locked Tannahill in a room for more than an hour, physically restraining and verbally abusing her, court papers state.

The Tannahill lawsuit specifically accuses the couple of fraud, deceit, civil-rights violations, assault, false imprisonment, stalking and invasion of privacy, according to Los Angeles' City News Service.

Bad blood between Tannahill and Bruce and Demi runs red and runs long. In their suit, the Willises accused the ex-nanny of breaking a confidentiality agreement and bad-mouthing them to others.