Jennifer Lopez Extortion Suit Dismissed—Judge Rules in Favor of Former Chauffeur

Singer's allegations against her onetime driver Hakob Manoukian are tossed in Los Angeles Superior Court

By Josh Grossberg, Claudia Rosenbaum Dec 26, 2012 10:01 PMTags
Jennifer LopezScott Barbour/Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez isn't feelin' so good after this ruling.

A California judge has dismissed a $20 million extortion countersuit the singer-actress filed against her former driver Hakob Manoukian who sued her last spring for wrongful termination claiming his contract was breached.

According to the minute order obtained by E! News, Los Angeles Superior Court Justice Joseph Kalin granted the chauffeur's motion to strike J.Lo's cross-complaint at a hearing on Dec. 21.

In a lawsuit filed April 30, 2012 against Lopez, Nuyorican Productions and her manager Benny Medina, Manoukian alleged he was hired to be the superstar's full-time driver, but the defendants failed to pay him his previously agreed upon yearly salary of $72,000.

Per the complaint, in addition to that amount, Manoukian asserted he was owed upwards of $200,000 in "production pay" whenever the ex-American Idol judge had a professional engagement, whether filming a movie or performing.

However, Manoukian said he was unfairly demoted to being an "L.A. driver" after Medina humiliated him in public during a job in Atlanta, and then unceremoniously dumped him in September 2011 without receiving the promised production pay or any overtime compensation.

Lopez's attorney has not responded to E! News' request for comment.

Manoukian's case is scheduled to go to trial sometime next May.