Former NBA player Dwight Howard is facing legal troubles as his former butler, Louis Pellegrino, has filed a lawsuit against him. Pellegrino alleges that Howard and his company, 12-Bray LLC, failed to pay him his rightful wages and created a hostile work environment by defaming him.
According to court documents, Pellegrino started working for Howard in January 2020, providing various butler and concierge services at Howard’s Georgia estate. He claimed that he was required to work excessively long hours, often living at the estate and performing tasks for approximately 20 hours per day.
Pellegrino asserted that despite Howard’s praise for his performance, the basketball star failed to pay him as promised. Howard allegedly attributed the delay to changing banks and accountants but never compensated Pellegrino according to the agreed-upon salary.
Additionally, Pellegrino stated that Howard defamed him after discovering he was friends with one of Howard’s exes. The ex-employee claimed that Howard spread rumors about him to estate guests and co-workers, creating a hostile work environment.
The situation escalated when Howard accused Pellegrino of theft after a $250k engagement ring went missing. Despite not finding the ring, Howard continued to entrust Pellegrino with handling his valuable jewelry.
Pellegrino eventually complained about the unpaid wages, but Howard’s assistant allegedly advised him to drop the issue. Subsequently, Pellegrino was terminated, and Howard continued to defame him by accusing him of stealing the engagement ring and engaging in a secret relationship with Te’A Cooper, Howard’s fiancé.
In response to the lawsuit, Howard denied any wrongdoing, stating that he did not breach any contractual obligations to the former butler.
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Written by:
Dana Sterling-Editor
