Khloe Kardashian has been hit with a lawsuit from a former employee who claims he was wrongfully fired after taking a leave of absence following a knee injury.
Matthew Manhard began working as a “household assistant” for The Kardashians star back in January 2019.
His lawsuit claims Kardashian kept him so busy that he was often unable to take legally required breaks during his shifts. Manhard also alleges that he wasn’t paid overtime, even when his shifts lasted 12 or more hours.
Then, in May of 2022, Manhard reportedly injured his knee, making him unable to work.
Though Manhard says he told Kardashian about what happened, the lawsuit alleges that when he tried to return to work, the following November, his role was terminated.
Manhard’s lawsuit, which was recently obtained by TMZ, accuses The Kardashians star of violating multiple California labor laws. The former assistant is seeking monetary compensation.
But attorneys for the Good American co-founder pushed back against Manhard’s claims, calling the lawsuit “frivolous.”
Lawyers for Khloe Kardashian slam the lawsuit
In a statement, Kardashian’s legal team disputed her former employee’s claims, telling the outlet that Manhard was “properly classified and compensated” for his assistant work.
The star’s reps also pushed back on the idea that Manhard was wrongfully terminated.
“Toward the end of his employment,” her legal spokesperson told the outlet, Manhard was “on a leave of absence for an extended period of time.”
His position eventually “needed to be replaced.”
The statement continued, “We will not tolerate false accusations and will prove that this is a frivolous lawsuit.”
Kim Kardashian faced similar allegations
This isn’t the first time a member of the famous family has faced workplace violation claims.
Khloe’s older sister, Kim Kardashian, faced similar allegations back in 2021 when seven former employees sued the SKIMS mogul for allegedly withholding pay.
The former employees — members of the gardening and maintenance staff of Kardashian’s $60 million Hidden Hills estate — claimed Kardashian was often late in paying them and outright refused them overtime pay.
The plaintiffs also alleged that they were often forced to work without meal breaks, with one 16-year-old ex-employee claiming he was made to work “far past” the maximum allowable 48 hours for an underage summer employee.
When news of the lawsuit broke on social media, users were quick to highlight how the billionaire had, just weeks earlier, complained that “nobody wants to work these days”.
“But we need to work right?” one wrote on Twitter. “Maybe pay us.”
The Kardashians Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Hulu.