Valerie Harper, famous for her role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, is being sued for $2 million after she dropped out of a Broadway show.
The playwright and producers are suing her because they’re claiming her dropping out suddenly has really hurt the play.
Oh, did we mention she dropped out because she had brain cancer??
She had lung cancer back in 2009 but fought it off and continued acting. She eventually found herself playing the role of Tallulah Bankhead in Matthew Lombardo’s play: Looped.
Valerie had great reviews and the play was doing so well. Then in late 2012 she began slurring her words and forgetting lines. It got so bad the director eventually demanded she see a doctor.
They found a fatal brain cancer, leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, and gave her only a few months to live.
She’s dropped out of the play to seek treatment and the production has refused to pay the rest of her contract.
Valerie sued them for the money but they’re suing her back, demanding $500,000 for having to hire a new actress plus $1.5 million in punitive damages.
They’re suing a woman with fatal brain cancer. She apparently has had a “great response to a certain drug,” though, so that gives us hope!
We really wish her strength and hope she pulls through all of this.
[Image via WENN.]