Sometimes it pays to talk it out.
Nicollette Sheridan's lawyer confirmed Tuesday that the actress and her ex-manager, who was suing her for breach of contract, have settled their dispute through mediation.
Rob Lee had accused the Desperate Housewives star of unceremoniously firing him to avoid paying him 10 percent of her earnings from the hit ABC dramedy after he arranged for her to audition for the role of Edie Britt, Wisteria Lane's resident drop-a-bombshell.
Sheridan's camp filed papers with the California State Labor Commission arguing that any deals negotiated by Lee on her behalf were invalid because the rep, who does business under the company name Bayonne Entertainment, was not a licensed talent agent as required by the state's Talent Agencies Act.
The state agency sided with Sheridan, for the most part. Lee was ruled to be in violation of the state statute, except for in the case of the Desperate work he did for her (because the former Knots Landing star's agent, Peter Young, had instigated those negotiations).
A Los Angeles judge ordered the two sides into mediation in October.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed and Sheridan's attorney, Paul Sorrell, said he couldn't comment because of a confidentiality provision included in the agreement.
A trial scheduled for June 30 has been wiped from the docket.
Meanwhile, Desperate Housewives is scheduled to return to ABC with its first new episode since the writers' strike ended on April 13.