Sofia Vergara Accuses Contractor Suing Her for $1.7 Million of 'Homophobic Conduct,' Demands Case Be Moved Out of Public Eye
Jan. 29 2024, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Sofia Vergara accused the contractor suing her for a 7-figure judgment of filing his lawsuit to “publicize a false narrative” and “to pressure” her — and the actress demanded his claims be fought outside the public eye.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Vergara responded to the case brought by contractor Reside Custom Homes [RCH] that demanded $1.7 million in damages.
In the lawsuit, RCH claimed it was hired in April 2022 to help renovate Vergara’s $26 million Beverly Hills mansion.
The suit said Vergara agreed to pay for the work plus the contractor’s fee. The company said it worked on the property until March 2023. Vergara moved back into the home following the work being completed.
Per the lawsuit, RCH installed clay plaster in various rooms throughout the home and replaced a flight of stairs.
RCH claimed it fronted the money for a portion of the work despite Vergara allegedly promising to have the invoices handled.
The lawsuit demanded $1.7 million in damages.
At the time, Vergara’s lawyer Marty Singer said the Modern Family actress had sent a demand letter to RCH on October 4, weeks before the company filed suit.
In the letter, Singer accused RCH of overcharging Vergara and performing shotty work on the mansion. Further, the actress demanded the matter be heard in arbitration and NOT in public court.
- Sofia Vergara Tells Judge She ‘Won’t Be Bullied’ By Contractor Who She Accuses of Attempting to ‘Extort’ a Settlement in $1 Million Court War
- Ex-‘RHOC’ Star Gretchen Rossi Accused Of Stiffing Ex-Lawyer Out Of $20K
- Former 'Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills' Star Denise Richards Denies Committing Fraud In $103,000 Court Battle With Landlord
Now, in her newly filed response, Vergara said the entire lawsuit should be moved out of Los Angeles Superior Court and into arbitration.
“Not only are [RCH’s] claims subject to arbitration, they are nothing more than frivolous counterclaims that were concocted after Defendants’ counsel sent an October 2023 demand letter regarding [RCH’s] failures to perform its obligations as General Contractor,” the motion read.“[RCH] filed this action in direct contravention of the obligation to arbitrate in order to publicize a false narrative and seek to embarrass well-known actress, Defendant Sofia Vergara, given her public persona.”
In addition, Vergara accused the contractor of “homophobic conduct.”
Her motion said, “[RCH] seeks to publicize a false narrative to blunt the effect of its fraudulent representations that induced the agreement allowing [RCH] to work at Defendants’ property, the failure to perform its agreements, including with respect to approval of subcontractors, negligence in constructing the Property necessitating many costly repairs, and [RCH’s] horrific and unauthorized homophobic conduct.”
She claimed RCH “engaged in homophobic conduct, by among other things, “referring to gays as “fairies” and firing a homosexual representative apparently based on animus related to sexual preference. Had [Vergara] known that [RCH] was homophobic, [she] never would have hired [RCH],” her lawyer claimed.
A judge has yet to rule on Vergara’s demand the case be moved to arbitration.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, on top of the drama with her contractor, Vergara is still hashing out a divorce settlement with her estranged husband Joe Manganiello, and facing a lawsuit brought by Griselda Blanco's family over her new Netflix series about the drug Queenpin.