It was announced last month that The Wendy Williams Show has been cancelled. But it appears Williams’ ex-husband wants to tie up loose ends, as Kevin Hunter has reportedly filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the show after he was let go as a producer following his split from Williams.
Hunter filed the lawsuit against the talk show’s production company Debmar-Mercury. He submitted paper work to launch the complaint on March 1st, court documents obtained by PEOPLE Magazine reveal.
The lawsuit alleges that Hunter’s role as an executive producer was terminated “on the basis of his marital status,” which breaches human rights law in New York City.
Hunter claims he received notice of his firing only days after Williams filed for divorce in 2019, and that the termination was “effective immediately.” He had worked as a producer on the daytime show since 2007.
It appears Hunter is hoping for a multimillion-dollar win. The court documents reveal he’s seeking “compensatory, punitive damages, an award of costs, interest and attorney's fees,” and any other expenses the court sees as relevant. He estimates that he’s lost anywhere between $7 million to $10 million as a result of the firing.
Williams originally filed for divorce from Hunter in April 2019 following the revelation that he fathered a child with a woman he had a long-term affair with. The couple’s divorce was finalized the following year. Williams and Hunter were married in 1997 and share one son, Kevin Jr., who was born in 2000.
Opening up about their marriage in an interview on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show, Williams described Hunter as a “serial cheater.” She said he was unfaithful for the duration of their marriage, right from he start.
Nevertheless, Williams added, "I don't regret the day of meeting him. I don't regret putting up with him for all 25 years."
The timing of Hunter’s lawsuit is interesting, given that it was announced the show was cancelled just last month. The decision came after Williams was absent for much of the 13th season (which debuted in December) due to medical issues.
Moreover, Williams is having an ongoing legal dispute with her bank. We previously reported that the television personality is suing Wells Fargo for denying her access to her finances and freezing her accounts. Conversely, the bank claims they have reason to believe Williams is being “exploited” and have asked that a guardian be appointed to oversee her finances in the meantime.
As per E! News, both Williams and Debmar-Mercury have declined to comment on the public case thus far.