Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga and Bravo exec Andy Cohen were slapped with a $30million lawsuit by Jackie Beard Robinson who told RadarOnline.com exclusively that fighting with them and NBC over defamation claims was a “big pain in the a**!”
Robinson sued the reality star, the producer and NBC for “defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress,” after they allegedly claimed that she stole items from the store Envy.
In the court documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, shared by her attorney, Larry Klayman, he said Robinson was “maliciously defamed,” after “publishing that she stole merchandise in the middle of the night from Envy, a store prominently featured on The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” and said Gorga and Cohen discussed the incident, calling it “stealing” on Watch What Happens Live on October 4, 2017.”
Robinson told RadarOnline.com she was distressed about the situation. “It was not a good experience,” she admitted.
“I do not like to get involved in things like this. It is a big pain in the a** and a headache.”
But Robinson felt that she had to fight back. “I try to avoid it at all costs,” and said Gorga and Cohen and NBC were hurting her with their false claims.
“It ruins my reputation. It wasn’t necessary.”
The bombshell documents explained that Robinson and Gorga opened the store Envy in New Jersey, but separated as business partners on December 31, 2016.
“On the morning of January 1, 2017, during daylight hours, Plaintiff Robinsonwent to Envy and gathered all of her belongings after she discovered that Defendant Gorga misappropriated over $37,000 from Envy without authorization, among other things. 20. The merchandise belonged to – and was owned by – Plaintiff,” the court documents claimed.
Robinson’s legal papers alleged that her attorney contacted Gorga, Cohen and NBC to advise them of the end of the business relationship and then to warn them not to speak disparagingly of his client.
But once the RHONJ new season started, Robinson was a topic of discussion. “On October 4, 2017, during the airing of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” Defendant Gorga, acting in concert with the other Defendants, jointly and severally, falsely, recklessly, grossly negligently, and/or negligently stated that Plaintiff ‘snuck in in the middle of the night and took all the clothes,’” the lawsuit alleged.
“On October 4, 2017, during the airing of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Defendant Cohen, acting in concert with the other Defendants, jointly and severally, falsely, recklessly, grossly negligently, and/or negligently stated, ‘wow, so, that lady Plaintiff wound up kinda ripping you off?’” speaking about Robinson with Gorga.
The lawsuit noted Gorga’s answer to Cohen’s question on WWHL, which aired on Bravo, an NBC network. “Defendants published into this district that Plaintiff had stolen merchandise and acted criminally. 30. On October 4, 2017, Defendant Gorga, acting in concert with the other Defendants, jointly and severally, responded “yes” and then furthered the falsehood that Plaintiff snuck into Envy in the middle of the night and stole clothing.”
Robinson asked for $30,000,000, with “general (non-economic), special (economic), actual and compensatory damages in excess of $10,000,000,” and “punitive damages in excess of $20,000,000, or at least 5% of each of Defendants’ net worth, whichever is greater, to punish and impress upon Defendants the seriousness of their conduct and to deter similar conduct in the future.”
Klayman released a statement about the case. “Over the course of the past year in particular, NBC has become synonymous with “Fake News,” designed to gin up its ratings and profits. Along with the other defendants as alleged in the complaint, NBC will be held to the strictest standards of journalism by a jury of my client’s peers. We are confident that it and the other defendants will pay dearly for destroying this talented woman in order to greedily fill their coffers.”
