Wendy Williams’ ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, had his $7 million marital-status-discrimination win against the former talk show host’s show producers reversed, In Touch Weekly reports.
An April 8 ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed a lower court’s decision to deny the show producers’ request to dismiss Hunter’s case against Wendy Williams Show producers Debmar-Mercury, Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus in 2023.
Hunter’s lawsuit against the show’s producers claimed he was wrongfully fired from his executive producer role amid his divorce from Williams in 2019.
“The termination of [Hunter] was based strictly upon [Hunter’s] marital status and his impending divorce to the Show’s host, ignoring all of the contributions that [Kevin] made to make the Show a success,” his lawsuit read.
Hunter’s lawsuit noted his role in the success of The Wendy Williams Show, including his leadership behind the scenes, making sure Wendy was properly cared for, his contributions to segments like “Hot Topics” and “Shoe Cam,” casting guests, and extending his ideas for marketing. Hunter claimed the producers violated New York law after they unrightfully terminated him from his position due to “marital status.”
Debmar-Mercury fought to dismiss Hunter’s claims since his “marriage to [Williams], in particular, is not a protected characteristic” by New York law. The Second Circuit cited a previous ruling from a court that stated that “marital status” alludes to “whether a person is participating in a marriage, not the nature of one’s relationship with another specific person.”
The Second Circuit ruled that “Hunter does not allege that he was fired because of his status as married, unmarried, or divorced, but, instead, because of his marital status specifically to Williams.”
Hunter previously won the lawsuit against the producers, but the case has been reversed back to the lower court to undergo additional proceedings.
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