'A Transparent Sham': Howard Stern Fires Back at Ex-Executive Assistant's Bombshell Lawsuit Seeking $2.5Million in Damages
Howard Stern has fired back at a lawsuit a former employee filed against him and his wife, Beth.
April 30 2026, Published 10:44 a.m. ET
Howard Stern has fired back at the bombshell lawsuit filed by a former personal assistant demanding $2.5million in damages, RadarOnline.com can report.
Leslie Kuhn claimed her job as an executive assistant for the shock jock and his wife, Beth Stern, put her in a "hostile working environment."
A 'Sham' and 'Shakedown'
The lawsuit particularly focuses on 'pressures' from Stern's animal-loving wife.
Stern, 72, filed to dismiss the lawsuit on Wednesday, slamming it as a "transparent sham" and a "shakedown."
A lawyer for SiriusXM, Stern's current broadcast home, doubled down on the dismissal.
"We are not going to play this out in public," said Ilene Farkas in a statement. "The Sterns are entitled to enforce non-disclosure agreements signed by employees who enter their home and their private life, and they have filed a motion to address the lawsuit and the conduct of Ms. Kuhn and her lawyer."
Kuhn complained she worked as an executive assistant to the couple for almost two years after moving into their massive Southampton, New York, mansion, to be at the duo's beck and call.
'Fired for Cause'
Stern slammed the suit as a money grab.
Earlier this year, she was "fired for cause" for an undisclosed reason, which she said was pressure from pet-lover Beth, 53, and her animal-rights group.
Kuhn has asked a court to declare a pair of non-enforcement agreements, which she maintains she never even signed, unenforceable so she can respond to the "accusations made against her" and "protect her reputation and future employment prospects."
However, Stern fired back in his dismissal request that he has emails and proof that Kuhn knowingly signed the NDAs and is just out for a big payday.
In court documents Radar has exclusively obtained, Stern argues: "The reason Kuhn filed this lawsuit was to pressure the Stern Parties into making an outlandish payment to make her go away. The sole reason Kuhn’s termination has become a matter of public record is because Kuhn and her counsel chose to publicize it by filing this lawsuit."
"There was no smear campaign, no actual or threatened disclosure, and no reputational attack," the notification continues. "None."
Master of the House
Kuhn was placed in charge of Beth's cat recue operation.
Kuhn alleges Beth put her in charge of overseeing the Sterns' Southampton mansion's staff, including handling scheduling and payroll to running day-to-day household operations.
She was also charged with overseeing Beth's "extensive collection of at-home cat rescues and fostering operations." At one time, Beth claimed she'd fostered more than 400 cats in the home – a situation described in Kuhn court docs as "disorganized" and "untenable."
The suit also claims the couple promised in December 2025 she'd get a raise to $265,000, plus an $80,000 bonus in 2026. Instead, Kuhn was fired in February.
Stern Speaks Out On Air
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The shock jock chalked the lawsuit up to the downside of being 'successful on the radio'.
Stern addressed the lawsuit on his SiriusXM radio show on April 7, calling it "completely baseless and desperate," and telling listeners, "we're letting our lawyer handle it."
The on-air icon lamented, "It's just another day in the life of having been successful on the radio."
However, Kuhn's lawyer, John J. Leonard, claimed his client is being "entirely muzzled," and added, "Which we don't think is a fair power differential, especially given the fact that as an employee, she is, you know, at a distinct disadvantage in terms of influence and resources."
