Melissa Joan Hart Sued By Her Ex-Manager For Non-Payment Of Commissions

Talent manager Kieran Maguire filed suit Wednesday against Melissa Joan Hart, asserting colorfully that she “has no heart” for taking advantage of his services and then ditching him “once her popularity was brought back from obscurity.” Maquire says he and Hart entered into a verbal standard agreement for his management services in 2006 — after her series Sabrina The Teenage Witch ended a few years prior. The breach of contract suit filed in L.A. Superior Court points out that Hart agreed to pay and continued to pay Maguire 10% of her earnings for subsequent years during which Maguire says he worked closely with her talent agents, publicists, business managers, attorneys and others in guiding her career. As examples of fostering her progress Maguire cites Hart’s guest appearances on TV shows such as Dancing With the Stars, her participation in ad campaigns for Kellogg’s, Huggies, Pillsbury and Gain laundry detergent, a People magazine cover and guest starring roles in series and TV movies. Maguire further contends alleges he was instrumental in Hart’s developing the ABC Family series Melissa & Joey, and states that she paid him his rightful commissions for the show’s first season. Those fees for the 2010 season came to $122,700.23, the suit says. In mid-March 2011 Maguire says Hart fired him without warning, whereupon he reminded her that she was still liable for any future earnings for work obtained during the period he served as her manager. ABC Family has renewed the series and begun filming a new season. Maguire is seeking payment for all episodes for which Hart has been paid or will be paid — about $56,250 for 15 episodes plus a percentage of the salary increase Maguire believes she received that would correspondingly increase his 10% fee. He also seeks continued payment of his commission for as long as Melissa & Joey continues on ABC Family.