The actress, who played Edie Britt on the hit show, claims Marc Cherry hit her after she expressed an opinion about a script he had written.
In the legal papers, obtained by TMZ.com, Sheridan claims Cherry “forcefully hit her with his hand across her face and head”. She is suing for assault and battery, gender violence and wrongful termination.
The actress also maintains that Cherry created a hostile work environment by “behaving in an extremely abusive and aggressive manner toward the individuals who work on the show”.
And when TV executives refused to do anything about Cherry’s behaviour, castmate Teri Hatcher took the matter up with ABC top brass.
Sheridan’s suit alleges that when Cherry found out Hatcher had also complained about him, he said, “I hope Teri Hatcher gets hit by a car and dies.”
