Nicollette Sheridan & Marc Cherry in happier times.

TV sexpot Nicollette Sheridan has filed a lawsuit against TV executive Marc Cherry with the Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming he hit her in the face in September 2008, then fired her after she complained.

The 46-year-old actress is also suing for battery and gender violence, with the legal documents citing that her dismissal from the TV series resulted “in her losing millions in future earnings.”

According to the lawsuit, “Cherry took her aside and forcefully hit her with his hand across her face and head” when Nicollette asked about a line in the script. After the actress walked off to her trailer, the producer apparently ran after her to “beg forgiveness”.

Nicollette then claims she was fired from the show after she reported the abusive behaviour to ABC Studios, who produce the popular series with Cherry Productions — owned by the 48-year-old writer and producer. The lawsuit also states that Nicollette attempted to discuss the matter with the show boss in 2008 “discuss his negative demeanor towards her and to discuss whether he had a problem with her work”.

Nicollette’s departure from Desperate Housewives was officially announced in February 2009, and her character, Edie Britt, was later killed off in the fifth season. With regard to her character’s sudden write-off from the show, her lawyer said: “It is exceptionally unusual for a popular character to be killed off or written out of a television series unless the actor has requested to be released from his or her contract.”

He added, “The decision to kill off Sheridan’s character demonstrates that Cherry and ABC intended to and did retaliate against Sheridan for her complaints about Cherry… None of the female characters had ever before been killed off or written out of the show.”

An ABC Studios spokesperson said: “While we have yet to see the actual complaint, we investigated similar claims made by Ms. Sheridan last year and found them to be without merit.”

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