EXCLUSIVE: Stern Warning! Hammered Shock Jock Howard Vows to Fight Ex-Assistant's 'Shakedown' Lawsuit
Howard Stern is fighting an ex-assistant's 'shakedown' lawsuit and rejecting the claims made.
June 23 2026, Published 6:15 a.m. ET
Shock jock Howard Stern and wife Beth Stern are claiming their former assistant's workplace lawsuit is a "thinly veiled shakedown" to extract $1.5million from the New York power couple, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The pair made the powerful allegation in court documents seeking to toss out Leslie Kuhn's stunning lawsuit accusing the couple of creating a "hostile working environment" – and trying to silence her from talking about them with a strict gag order.
Howard Calls Lawsuit a Shakedown
Howard Stern's court filing described Leslie Kuhn's lawsuit as a 'thinly veiled attempted shakedown' seeking $1.5 million.
"This case is a thinly veiled attempted shakedown," reads Howard's motion to dismiss charges.
"After being terminated and offered generous, discretionary severance, plaintiff Leslie Kuhn – a former at-will employee who had no right to continued employment, much less any right to any payment upon being terminated – hatched a plan to extract a staggering 'hush-money' payment."
Court documents also reveal Kuhn demanded the big-bucks payment, two years of employer-funded health insurance and reimbursement of her legal fees during the negotiations over a separation agreement.
"We therefore value the confidentiality, nondisclosure, and non-disparagement provisions of the Separation Agreement at $1.5million," Kuhn's attorney Joshua Zuckerberg wrote in a letter referring to the disputed deal with One Twelve – Howard's personal production company.
Kuhn Details Demands and Claims
Joshua Zuckerberg wrote, Kuhn sought $1.5million in exchange for confidentiality, nondisclosure and non-disparagement provisions tied to One Twelve.
"We also require that Ms. Kuhn's health insurance be continued at One Twelve's cost for two years from the date of separation, that any legal expenses that Ms. Kuhn incurs with regard to this matter be paid by One Twelve," he added.
Kuhn, who began working for the radio talker's show in 2022 before becoming a personal assistant, filed her lawsuit claiming the ironclad NDA – which she says she never signed – is unenforceable because it doesn't prevent Howard, 72, or Beth, 53, from speaking out against her.
During her time working for the Sterns, Kuhn claims she managed Beth's "disorganized" and "untenable" at-home animal rescue operation, babysitting more than 400 of her cats, and was promised a raise to $265,000 – plus an $80,000 bonus in 2025 before getting canned in February 2026.
Stern Brands Claims 'Bald-Faced Lies'
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Stern alleged Kuhn filed a lawsuit based on a 'nonexistent dispute' to escape agreements he says she signed.
But the SiriusXM radio show host alleges Kuhn is full of cat litter by creating "utterly false publicity, hoping the Sterns would simply pay her to make her 'go away,'" the court documents charge.
"She manufactured a nonexistent 'dispute' and filed this pretextual lawsuit founded on a series of bald-faced lies, asking this Court to issue an advisory opinion and free her from confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements that she indisputably signed."
