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Lacey Chabert, Holly Robinson Peete and Autumn Reeser are among Hallmark stars who, according to a new lawsuit, are at risk of losing their roles due to ageism.

Just as Hallmark Channel launched its 15th year of well-being “Countdown to Christmas” programming, with dozens of new holiday movies releasing between October and December 2024, it has been hit by an explosive lawsuit that claims “Hallmark happy endings are made-only-for-TV stories.”

Filed by a long-time casting manager Penny Perry and obtained by Heavy, the lawsuit alleges that Perry, 79, who once sang the praises of Hallmark as a “great” place to work, was “harassed, discriminated against, and then fired by Hallmark” in May, blaming several media outlets from Hallmark. leaders of ageism and ableism.

Perry also claims in the suit that many of Hallmark’s most popular stars are at risk of being replaced, alleging that the vice president of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly – whose leadership she described as a “reign of terror” – repeatedly urged her to find younger talent and stop recruiting “old people”. Perry claims she, too, was quickly replaced by a younger, male casting manager after she was fired.

On October 23, Hallmark vehemently denied Perry’s “outrageous allegations” in statements provided to multiple media outlets: including variety And The Associated Press.

Hallmark denies allegations it wants to ‘replace’ stars like Lacey Chabert and Holly Robinson Peete

GettyHallmark programming executive Lisa Hamilton Daly (center) with Hallmark stars Wes Brown and Melissa Peterman in July 2024

In Perry’s lawsuit, she claims her superiors — Hamilton Daly, who left Netflix for Hallmark in 2021, and longtime programming executive Randy Pope — repeatedly urged her to find “new faces.” for the dozens of films and series for which she was responsible for launching the casting. .

Most of Hallmark’s most popular actors are between 40 and 50 years old. Perry’s lawsuit listed several, including Lacey Chabert, Alison Sweeney, Autumn Reeser, Nikki DeLoach, Rachel BostonAnd Brennan Elliott – as part of the talent that Hallmark executives wanted to “find replacements” for because they were too old.

Claiming Hamilton Daly Told Her “Hallmark’s Leading Ladies Are Getting Old,” Actress Perry Said Hunter King was brought up as one of the “youngsters” who would make a good replacement. King, who turned 31 on October 19, is a rising star at Hallmark, appearing opposite Tyler Hynes38 years old, in the highly publicized “Holiday romance: a chef’s love story”, which premieres on November 30.

In his lawsuit, Perry recalled being told that the actress Holly Robinson Peetewho turned 60 in September, was no longer a viable casting option because “no one wants her because she’s too
expensive and too old” and that she could no longer “play leading roles”. Robinson Peete last appeared on Hallmark in the December 2022 “Holiday Heritage.”

Chabert was also singled out in the lawsuit, with Perry claiming Hamilton Daly once told her that “we need to find someone like her to replace her as she gets older.” Nonetheless, Chabert remains one of Hallmark’s busiest actresses, having just starred in her 40th Hallmark movie – “His and Hers” with Elliott – and the company’s first unscripted series, “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert” on Hallmark+. She will also appear alongside Kristoffer Polaha in his 15th Hallmark Christmas movie, “A Christmas Quest” premieres December 1st.

Robinson Peete and Chabert have not publicly commented on Perry’s lawsuit, but Hallmark Media insisted it supports both actresses.

“Lacey and Holly have a home in Hallmark,” a rep told Variety in an emailed statement. “We generally do not comment on pending litigation. And while we deny these scandalous allegations, we will not discuss the working relationship in the media.”

The company also told the AP that “Hallmark continues to build and maintain positive and productive relationships with talented actors representing a broad spectrum of diversity, including actors who span many age groups and cross generations.

In spring 2024, Hamilton Daly was outspoken about his vision to “expand the talent pool” at Hallmark during a appearance on Hallmark Mysteries & More podcast and in a interview with Variety.

“When I first came here, we were sort of in a frenzy of talent exclusivity, and I think we’ve gone backwards, partly because we like our talent to be in a lot of other places as well,” she said. she told Variety of her goal of attracting new stars by allowing them to work on other films and networks. “We love that people can find them elsewhere and are excited to come back and see them here.” And we’re also constantly looking to expand our talent pool, so attracting people for a unique film is really exciting for us.

Hallmark exec Penny Perry fires company praise in 2022

After decades of work as a casting director in Hollywood, including for numerous feature films including “Cocoon” and “Ordinary People,” according to Perry’s lawsuit, she joined Hallmark as a contractor in 2015 and, l The following year, was hired as vice president of talent. /Foundry. She was promoted to senior vice president in 2019, she said.

During a virtual SAG-AFTRA roundtable with several Hallmark actresses in December 2022, as seen in the video above, Perry commented on the tight deadlines she had for casting Hallmark films, which are typically shot in just three weeks, but spoke enthusiastically about the work. for the company.

“These lovely ladies make my job so much easier because not only are they wonderful actors, but they become your friends and we are family here,” she said, gesturing to the actresses participating in the discussion, including DeLoach, Robinson Peete, Erin Cahill. and Ashley Williams. “So it’s very, very different from before, when I was making features and working for networks and all that. It’s much nicer here. It’s really great.

“The one thing I want to say about Hallmark as a woman: They’re very supportive of us as women,” Perry added. “It’s a wonderful place to live.”

But less than two years later, in her lawsuit, Perry denounced her working conditions, saying she “experienced widespread harassment.” Perry included excerpts from glowing reviews she received in recent years, but noted that she often felt unsupported as an employee dealing with multiple medical issues, including ongoing problems caused by treatment from breast cancer in 2007 and 2008, being legally blind in her left eye, and suffering from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), which she says can cause intermittent problems with balance and mobility.

In addition to accusing Hallmark of failing to repair her elevator despite Perry’s numerous requests, the lawsuit claims her “MS symptoms returned” when Hamilton Daly “unleashed his reign of terror against Ms. Perry” and asked her to present himself to the Pope, whom Perry had considered “his equal”. Despite her positive reviews of her work, Perry said Pope was “abusive and regularly tormented her”, including mocking her when she mumbled or forgot words.

On October 21, Perry’s attorneys and doctor asked the court to consider expediting his case, given his age and declining health, by scheduling a trial for early 2025. At the time of publication , no decision had been made on the timetable and next steps.