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News for the Hospitality Executive |
| Daily News, New York
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Mar. 6--Hotel magnate Leona Helmsley has been slapped with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit by a straight employee who claims he was fired for not having sex with her. The salacious suit was revealed yesterday, just one day after a judge dramatically reduced a multimillion-dollar judgment won by a gay employee Helmsley claims she axed for throwing sex parties in her hotel. Sex or no sex, the Queen of Mean says both lawsuits "are nonsense." "Last month she's on trial because she supposedly fired a man because he was gay. Now somebody is suing her claiming he was fired because he is straight," said Helmsley's attorney, Steve Eckhaus. "Neither of these guys are ever going to see a penny." But Roger Watkins is seeking $9 million and his old job back as chief operating officer of Helmsley Enterprises. And the 52-year-old plaintiff is apparently prepared to tell the world of the 82-year-old Helmsley's penchant for mixing business with bedroom pleasures. "Helmsley terminated Watkins because of his refusal to continue his romantic and sexual relationship with her," the lawsuit alleges. Newspaper gossip columns began keeping tabs on them in 2000 when she was spotted around town on the arm of the 6-foot-5 construction executive from Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County. The fling apparently fizzled, but sparked again in 2001 when Watkins escorted Helmsley to a Christmas party at the Waldorf-Astoria. "After the party, Helmsley asked Watkins to sleep over at her apartment," the lawsuit claims. "While staying at her apartment, Helmsley and Watkins agreed that Watkins would immediately begin working for Helmsley Enterprises as chief operating officer." On Dec. 14, 2001, Watkins agreed to take the $200,000-a-year job, a post previously held by Patrick Ward -- a gay man with whom Helmsley was romantically linked. But Watkins charges that after he escorted Helmsley to another party on Dec. 17, 2001, their relationship turned sour. Watkins says he was fired Jan. 7, 2002, after he told Helmsley he wanted to concentrate less on her and more on his job. "She gave the instruction to terminate," Watkins' lawyer, Scott Steiner, said yesterday. Eckhaus declined to comment on Helmsley's relationship with Watkins. On Tuesday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Walter Tolub reduced an $11.1 million judgment awarded to Charles Bell -- the former manager of Helmsley's Park Lane Hotel, who charged he was fired because he was gay -- to $554,000. By Helen Peterson and Bill Hutchinson -----To see more of the Daily News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.NYDailyNews.com (c) 2003, Daily News, New York. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. |