Hallmark Executive Says Leading Actresses Lacey Chabert and Holly Robinson Peete ‘Aging’: Lawsuit

According to a lawsuit filed this month against the station and obtained by The Associated Press.

Penny Perry, the 79-year-old casting director who filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Oct. 9, maintains that she was unfairly fired from the network known for its feel-good films because of her age and despite her stellar performance reviews. “Hallmark happy endings are stories made exclusively for television,” the complaint reads. “For Ms. Perry, there was no happy ending or feel-good episode that ended her Hallmark career. Instead, her final stretch was marked by persecution based on age and ability, and a callous end to a career that deprived her of an illustrious career, pride and well-being.”

In a statement, Hallmark denied the allegations, adding: “Hallmark continues to consistently cast and maintain positive, productive relationships with talented actors representing a broad spectrum of diversity, including actors from many age groups and generations.”

According to the lawsuit, Hamilton Daly told Perry they needed to “replace” “old talent,” including 42-year-old actress Lacey Chabert, who has starred in dozens of Hallmark movies, many of them Christmas-themed, and portrayed Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls (2004), stating that Chabert “is getting old and we need to find someone like her to replace her when she’s older.”

The lawsuit adds that Hamilton Daly said this about 60-year-old actress and “Our Christmas Journey” star Holly Robinson Peete: “Nobody wants her because she’s too expensive and she’s too old. He can’t play leading roles anymore.

Hallmark responded: “Lacey and Holly have a home at Hallmark. We generally do not comment on ongoing court proceedings. And while we deny these outrageous allegations, we will not discuss labor relations in the media,” a company representative told the AP in an emailed statement.

According to Hallmark’s website, Chabert stars in the new Hallmark movie, The Christmas Quest, which premieres on December 1, and also hosts the reality series “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert.” Representatives for Chabert and Robinson Peete did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Perry herself experienced age and disability harassment at the company, and Hamilton Daly – who apparently repeatedly referred to age as a negative attribute that did not fit the network’s image – “told Ms. Perry that she had too ‘long teeth’ to keep her job.” on Hallmark,” the lawsuit says. It also alleges that Senior Vice President of Programming and Development Randy Pope mocked Perry for her relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, taunting her when she mispronounced words or names – a symptom of the disease.

“Unfortunately, Hallmark has treated a venerable Hollywood veteran in this manner, and we hope this action will lead to change in Hollywood and all work environments,” Perry’s attorneys Lisa Sherman and Josh Schein said in a statement.

The allegations come amid riots in Hollywood, punctuated by historic workers’ strikespandemic i streaming revolution.

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