Kim Kardashian might need to put her new legal expertise to the test after being sued by seven former employees over unpaid wages.
According to Page Six, in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Monday, members of the reality star’s gardening and maintenance staff who worked at her $60 million Hidden Hills mansion are accusing her of being late with payments, withholding 10% of their wages for taxes but then failing to give that money to the government, denying them overtime, and occasionally forcing them to work through meal breaks. The seven defendants—Aron Cabrea, Rene Ernesto Flores, Jesse Fernandez, Robert Araiza, Andrew Ramirez, his brother Christopher Ramirez and son Andrew Ramirez Jr.—also reportedly claim that they did not receive itemized pay stubs for their labor and are seeking compensation for both unpaid wages and overtime owed. One of the defendants claims that when he brought up the issue of overtime, taxes, and meal breaks, he was immediately fired, while a 16-year-old ex-employee is alleging that he was made to work well over the maximum 48 hours legally permitted for an underage summer employee, per Page Six.
The group is represented by Frank Kim, who is also representing another lawsuit against Kardashian’s estranged husband, Kanye West, for the alleged mistreatment of over 500 performers at his Sunday Service events, Page Six noted. In a statement to the Daily Mail, the lawyer said, “Wage theft and other workplace violations are a widespread problem in Los Angeles. My firm is currently investigating other potential violations against these defendants, as well as other powerful families and businesses on behalf of everyday workers.”
However, a spokesperson for the Kardashians told Page Six that this issue actually has nothing to do with Kim. “These workers were hired and paid through a third-party vendor hired by Kim to provide ongoing services. Kim is not party to the agreement made between the vendor and their workers, therefore she is not responsible for how the vendor manages their business and the agreements they have made directly with their staff. Kim has never not paid a vendor for their services and hopes that the issue between these workers and the vendor who hired them can be amicably resolved soon.” Another source close to Kardashian added, “She does not have a history of not paying her bills on time—never has and never will. She takes a lot of pride in paying people on time for their work so this issue has nothing to do with her and these workers are suing the wrong person.”
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