Nicollette Sheridan Appeal Denied: 'Desperate Housewives' Actress Terminated
The prolonged legal fight between actress Nicollette Sheridan and ABC over her termination has seemingly come to an end after the California Supreme Court denied an appeal by the actress.
The state's highest court issued the brief ruling Friday with the court's chief justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, writing: "The petition for review is denied … The request for an order requesting depublication of the opinion is denied."
This latest development is expected to end the 2-and-a-half year legal battle, which began after Sheridan accused ABC for wrongfully firing her from the show "Desperate Housewives." She also alleged that the show's creator assaulted her.
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During the course of the trial, Sheridan testified that the show's creator, Marc Cherry, got physical with her during an incident that occurred on September 2008, which led to the physical confrontation.
She had asked Cherry to write a new line of dialogue for her, but "he got agitated and annoyed and didn't respond," Sheridan testified.
Then again after the rehearsal, she approached Cherry again. By that time, Cherry was talking with the director, she explained: "He got agitated." Sheridan then said that Cherry took her to a side area which was away from others.
"What is it you want?" Sheridan testified, quoting Cherry. She said she offered to explain the reason for the dialogue change, but abruptly was cut off.
"Cherry stepped toward me and with his right hand he hit me upside the head," Sheridan said, adding that her head moved backed and she was shocked. She then yelled at him, "You hit me in the head! That is not OK. That is not OK."
Then in February 2009, Sheridan explained that she was called to a meeting with the writers of the show. When she arrived, she saw Cherry in his office with other producers as well as an ABC executive.
"I said, 'what's going on?'" she testified. She noticed the others in the room would not look at her and that Cherry looked "very nervous. His hands were shaking."
"He said he had decided Edie Britt was going to die," Sheridan testified. Cherry said her character would be killed in a car crash. "I asked why? He said he wanted to shake things up. I was stunned."
