Brandy Fighting Ex-Housekeeper’s Demand For Extra $87k Weeks After Singer Settled Discrimination Battle
Jan. 11 2023, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
Brandy has rushed back to court in her lawsuit brought by her ex-housekeeper — and the singer has objected to paying the woman an additional $87k weeks after settling their dispute, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Brandy has demanded her ex-employee Maria Elizabeth Castaneda’s demand for attorney fees be denied.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, recently, Brandy and Maria reached a settlement where the singer agreed to pay $40k to settle a wrongful termination lawsuit.
The 60-year-old housekeeper worked for Brandy from September 2002 to February 2022. Her work was done out of the entertainer’s Calabasas mansion. Maria said she was paid $125 per day for her work which included cleaning, cooking, and laundry.
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- Brandy’s Ex-Housekeeper Demands $87k To Cover Her Legal Bills Weeks After Singer Agreed To Pay $40k Over Discrimination Claims
Maria said Brandy failed to provide her the proper breaks during her employment. The lawsuit said the housekeeper was “not permitted to take an uninterrupted 10-minute rest break in the morning and an uninterrupted 10-minute rest break in the afternoon, nor was [Castaneda] permitted to take an uninterrupted 30-minute meal rest break.”
Maria said she was fired in 2022 because Brandy wanted a younger employee. She demanded in excess of $250k but Brandy settled for $40k. Weeks later, her lawyers demanded an additional $87k to cover their fees. The firm said it spent countless hours on preparing for depositions. It had planned to depose Brandy’s brother Ray J and her mother as part of the case.
Now, Brandy wants the request for additional funds denied. Her lawyer said the amount Maria’s counsel requested is “frankly astounding.” He points out that the case settled within five months of filing and involved no litigation.
“This figure is excessive, unreasonable, and entirely unsupported. This case was incorrectly pled on its face, poorly litigated, and settled quickly for a mere $40,000. Lipeles Law Group has further failed to adequately support any of their requested fees. Lipeles Law Group has overstated the amount of the attorneys’ fees to which it is entitled on this Motion, and should only be awarded those attorneys’ fees, if any, that the Court determines are reasonable and properly supported by admissible evidence,” the motion read.
Brandy said the entire motion should be denied unless the lawyers can produce evidence of the work they claim to have completed.