Kobe Bryant Countersues Former Housekeeper

May 23, 2009

Santa Ana, California - Basketball celebrity Kobe Bryant said he and his wife Vanessa filed a countersuit against their former maid who is seeking back pay, overtime pay, and punitive damages.

Bryant said he filed a countersuit against Maria Jimenez, 48, over breach of contract which stated that she should not reveal her employers’ private affairs to the media.

The LA Lakers star on Friday filed a lawsuit before the Orange County Superior Court over allegations that his former maid has violated the employment confidentially contract that prohibits her from revealing details of her service to Bryant.

According to earlier reports, Jimenez accused Vanessa of humiliating and verbally abusing her and even cited one incident when she was forced to put her hand inside a trash bag with dog’s feces to retrieve the price tag of Vanessa’s blouse.

The housekeeper said Vanessa saw her put an expensive blouse inside a washing machine which the latter did not like, demanding Jimenez to retrieve the price tag inside the trash can. Meanwhile, Vanessa said to Jimenez that she should work for the next pay day to cover for the $690 blouse.

William Vogeler, the housekeeper’s lawyer, said that Jimenez was not terminated but she was forced to resign due to the intolerable working condition.

Vogeler said that the unhealthy working condition is a clear violation of the labor law.