Lady Gaga working out settlement with ex-assistant

Pop superstar Lady Gaga is nearing a settlement with her former personal assistant in a bid to avoid a trial over allegations of unpaid overtime. The Applause hitmaker has been locked in a legal battle with Jennifer O’Neill since 2011, when she filed suit claiming she is owed $380,000 (£253,330) for carrying out 7,168 hours of extra work during the 2010 Monster Ball trek.
The case was scheduled to head for trial next month (Nov13), when a jury would be primed to decide whether the singer’s 24/7 demands left O’Neill with little free time, as she alleged in her legal documents.
However, lawyers for the two parties have worked out a negotiation in an effort to bring the lengthy dispute to an end, reports the New York Post.
A letter sent by O’Neill’s attorney to Manhattan Federal Judge Paul Gardephe on Wednesday (16Oct13) reads: “(Both sides) have been engaged in significant settlement negotiations over the past two weeks.
“We have utilised the services of an independent mediator… who brought us to a place where we are in agreement on the most major terms related to a settlement. I am hopeful that the parties can reach a mutual agreement, thus obviating the need for a trial.”
Relations between Gaga and her ex-employee turned nasty during the court battle – in a deposition for the case, the star branded O’Neill a “f**king hood rat” and accused her of failing in her duties by making her carry her own luggage and unpack her own bags, which was “very stressful” for the singer.