Cher is being sued by three backup dancers for wrongful dismissal, racial discrimination
CHER probably wishes she could turn back time after allegedly making racist remarks and wrongfully sacking three of her backup dancers.
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LEGENDARY performer Cher is being sued for $10 million by three of her backup dancers who claim the music icon engaged in racial discrimination to prevent a black dancer joining her on stage.
The dancers claim Cher remarked that her successful Dressed to Kill tour had “too much colour” and instructed choreographer Kevin Wilson not to hire any more dark skinned dancers.
If that’s true, the diva no doubt wishes she could turn back time.
Wilson, who is black and also danced onstage on the tour, was fired in July along with two other dancers who claim they were discriminated against.
Both Wilson and dancer Suzanne Easter, along with former colleague Jacquelyn Dowsett Ballinger, are suing Cher claiming they were wrongfully fired.
Wilson and Easter, who are African American, say race was a motivating factor in their dismissal, while Ballinger, 42, is alleging age discrimination.
“The accusations are ridiculous,” Cher’s publicist Liz Rosenberg said on Thursday. “They couldn’t be further from the truth.”
The 68-year-old singer-actress had to postpone three weeks of shows due to a viral infection earlier this month.
Her Dressed to Kill tour has been ranked among the top-10 grossing tours of 2014 by the trade publication Pollstar.
The lawsuit states the dancers were told they were being fired to save costs on the tour. Their wrongful termination lawsuit seeks more than $10 million in damages, although any award would have to be determined by a jury.
The dancers’ lawyer, Perry C Wander, said he believes the claims have merit.
“The allegations are made by long term employees who have been on tour with Cher for over a decade,” he said.
Originally published as Cher is being sued by three backup dancers for wrongful dismissal, racial discrimination
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