A former Hallmark Channel executive has filed a lawsuit against the network, alleging age discrimination after she was terminated. The lawsuit claims that Hallmark sought to replace seasoned actresses such as Holly Robinson Peete, 60, and Lacey Chabert, 42, with younger talent. The lawsuit was filed by 79-year-old casting director Penny Perry in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Perry, who has an extensive history with over 450 casting credits and nearly a decade with Hallmark, asserts that she was fired due to her age, as the company aimed to recruit someone more familiar with younger talent. Additionally, the lawsuit accuses Hallmark’s executive vice president of programming, Lisa Hamilton Daly, of making derogatory remarks about aging stars, reportedly saying that they needed to replace Lacey Chabert with a younger actress as she ages.
“Lacey’s getting older, and we have to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older,” Daly allegedly said about the “Mean Girls” actress, who appeared in some of the channel’s popular productions like “The Wedding Veil” collection and “A Royal Christmas.”
Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges Daly made negative comments about “21 Jump Street” actress Holly Robinson Peete, suggesting she was too expensive and too old to continue in leading roles. Other stars named in the lawsuit as targets for replacement include Elizabeth Mitchell, Catherine Bell, and Teri Hatcher, among others.
Perry also accuses Randy Pope, Hallmark’s senior vice president of programming and development, of subjecting her to regular mistreatment and Paul Hodgkinson, the vice president of human resources, of participating in what she claims was wrongful termination. Perry’s termination occurred shortly after she returned from heart surgery and while dealing with multiple sclerosis and legal blindness in one eye.
Hallmark has denied these allegations, asserting that both Lacey Chabert and Holly Robinson Peete continue to have roles at the network. While they generally refrain from commenting on active litigation, they have dismissed the claims as unfounded and expressed a commitment to not discussing employment matters publicly.
This year, Hallmark plans to debut 32 new Christmas movies. However, Perry is not listed as part of the casting team for any of these holiday films, though she is credited for four non-holiday Hallmark movies set to release in 2024.