Lester Cohen/WireImage.comWith allegations of "abusive" bosses and "crazy tempers" clashing, the Desperate Housewives courthouse showdown between former housewife Nicollette Sheridan and show creator Marc Cherry is shaping up to be the drama to watch this season…definitely juicier than anything the ABC series is serving up these days!
And sources close to the soap tell us both sides are deadly serious about the millions Nicollette wants from the studio following claims of assault and wrongful termination).
So should Camp Sheridan expect a victory?
"She just might stand a chance," a trusty legal source in the know about the ongoing case tells us.
But it won't be an easy win.
"Marc's legal team are sharks," our courthouse whisperer explains. "They won't make a move unless it benefits them or their client. There has to be something here more than a cat fight."
And it seems ABC thinks so. They've long supported Cherry in the feud, saying Ms. Sheridan's claims that Marc slapped her across the face were investigated and "of no merit." Now, they're putting their money were their mouths are.
Our source continues: "Several lawyers have already billed hundreds of thousands to ABC and Cherry, depending on whatever deal they have. ABC filed a motion for summary judgment, which tries to get the judge to settle for their side because the other doesn't have enough proof, but apparently there is enough proof to go forward with a trial in front of a jury."
Legal jockeying aside, it's going to be a grueling case for Nicollette and her former costars (like Felicity Huffman and Eva Longoria) who have been called to testify. The cast was long ago gagged by ABC, but lips will be flapping now that they've become official witnesses.
"No one will be saying exactly nice things about Nicollette, would be my guess," one of the cast members—who also reaffirms the claim that Marc did slap her to show her how to properly do it on camera—tells us. "But, then I've seen it all on that set."
So if Nicollette is facing bloodthirsty lawyers, be-yotchy ex-cast members and tons of existing on-set goss (which says she and Marc were so not BFFs), how the heck does she stand a chance of landing a legal win?
"The only thing I can think of is she might stand a reasonable claim because he ‘hit' her, she notified ABC…and then he wrote her out," our legal sources weighs in. "It'll look a tad suspicious to the untrained eye and the courts might let it go through because on paper, she does have something to fight about. And she isn't going to settle for cheap."
She and her former TV alter ego, the swanky Edie Britt, have that kinda eye-on-the-prize mentality in common!
Our source finishes, "I do think her best performance of all time will be on the stand."
Give 'em hell, Nicollette!