Holly Robinson-Pete Named in Hallmark Age Discrimination Lawsuit

Actress Holly Robinson-Pete named in an age discrimination lawsuit filled against the Hallmark network, claiming execs called her old and too expensive...

From Variety

Hallmark executive VP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly told her staff she did not want to cast “old people,” saying they did not fit with her image for the channel, a new age discrimination lawsuit filed against the studio claims.

In the suit, Hamilton Daly is quoted as singling out Holly Robinson Peete and Lacey Chabert, who are 60 and 42 respectively, as examples of “old talent” that needed to be “replaced.” Both actors have starred in Christmas movies and shows on the Hallmark Channel.

“Lacey’s getting older and we have to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older,” Hamilton Daly allegedly said.

Of Robinson Peete, she said, “No one wants her because she’s too expensive and getting too old. She can’t play leading roles anymore,” the suit alleges.

Penny Perry, a 79-year-old casting director, filed the lawsuit on Oct. 9 in Los Angeles Superior Court. She alleges that she was unceremoniously fired in April after nine years with the company.

According to the complaint, Hamilton Daly repeatedly told Perry that she was “too long in the tooth,” and sought to have her removed as part of a goal of finding “new talent.”