Woody Allen faces lawsuit over chef's military service dismissal
There's scarcely a year without some scandal involving Woody Allen. However, a tale like this is unprecedented. The director's former chef accuses him of firing due to... military service and pay issues.
Woody Allen’s former personal chef, Hermie Fajardo, has filed a lawsuit against the director and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn. He claims he was terminated because of his service in the U.S. Army Reserves and disputes over his pay. Fajardo alleges that Allen and Previn "rubbed salt in the wounds" by saying they didn't like his cooking.
Conflict over pay and military service
Fajardo was hired as a full-time chef in June 2024 with an annual salary of $85,000 USD (CAD 121,000). The couple was supposed to be aware that he wouldn't completely abandon his military duties and would need time for military exercises. However, he was dismissed a month later after returning from training, which had lasted a day longer than planned. Upon his return, he was met with hostility and reluctance from his celebrated employers.
Fajardo raised concerns related to pay, claiming that taxes were not properly deducted and that pay stubs were missing. Allen, Previn, and their manager, Pamela Steigmeyer, are accused of violating federal employment law and labour rights in New York.
Fajardo asserts he was hired after his meal of roast chicken, pasta, chocolate cake, and apple pie was praised by Allen and Previn. Only after his dismissal and upon hiring a lawyer did he hear that his cooking did not meet expectations, which he believes is untrue.
Controversial relationship
Woody Allen was involved with Mia Farrow starting in 1980. The actress already had seven children: three biological sons, three adopted daughters, and one adopted son. One of the adopted daughters is Soon-Yi Previn. The family later expanded to include Dylan Farrow, and Satchel Ronan was born. In the '90s, it was revealed that Allen and Previn were having an affair.
Mia Farrow discovered nude photos of her adopted daughter taken at her partner's apartment. The director admitted to having had a sexual relationship with the girl. Shortly after, the matter was taken to the lawyers. Allen commented in an interview with "Time Magazine": "I am not Soon-Yi's father or stepfather. I've never even lived with Mia. I've never in my entire life slept at Mia's apartment, and I never even used to go over there until my children came along seven years ago. I never had any family dinners over there. I was not a father to her adopted kids in any sense of the word."
Allen and Previn married in December 1997. They have two adopted daughters.
