*Kevin Hunter, the former spouse of talk show host Wendy Williams, hit a roadblock in his legal battle against the team behind “The Wendy Williams Show.”
According to InTouch, on April 8, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed an earlier decision that had favored Hunter, ruling instead in favor of Debmar-Mercury, the show’s production company, and its producers, Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus. Hunter launched the lawsuit in 2023, claiming he was unjustly terminated from his executive producer role shortly after Williams initiated divorce proceedings in 2019. He argued that his dismissal violated New York’s anti-discrimination laws tied to marital status, seeking $7 million in compensation.
Hunter emphasized his significant contributions to the show, including developing well-known segments like Hot Topics and Shoe Cam, and overseeing major production elements that fueled its popularity. “The termination of [Kevin] was based strictly upon [Kevin’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, per InTouch.
Initially, a federal judge permitted his case to proceed, suggesting Hunter’s allegations of discrimination, linked to his divorce, might hold up under laws protecting against marital status bias. However, the appeals court disagreed, clarifying that “marital status” in this context refers broadly to whether someone is married or unmarried, not to the specifics of their relationship with a particular person. Since Hunter’s claim hinged on his connection to Williams rather than his general status as a married individual, the court found his legal argument lacked strength.
The case isn’t fully resolved yet. It has been sent back to the lower court for additional review, though the producers’ earlier motion to dismiss was upheld. Bernstein and Marcus assert that Hunter’s termination was unrelated to his marriage to Williams and argue that his interpretation of the law doesn’t align with its intent.
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