Celebs

Former Housekeeper Sues Brandy For More Than $250,000 For Wrongful Termination Involving Age

One former housekeeper is hoping to clean house. But this time, it won’t be Brandy Norwood’s home as the housekeeper has done since 2002. Instead, Maria Elizabeth Castaneda has filed a lawsuit against the singer for wrongful termination and violating state labor laws, per PEOPLE.

Lawsuit Details

According to court documents, Maria claims she was fired in February due to her age. Apparently, Brandy let her decades-long employee go because she didn’t want an “older” housekeeper. Per TMZ, the housekeeper is more than 60 years old.

“We disagree and will have further comments after we speak with our lawyers,” a representative for Brandy reportedly toldTMZ.

Maria also said Brandy shorted her coins by not providing payment for her last two days of work. The housekeeper reportedly earned $125 per day throughout her 20 years with Brandy.Now, Maria is seeking back pay, plus an extra $250,000 in damages.

Additionally, Maria insists Brandy violated California state labor laws. Some of the ways these laws were violated include: “failure to pay minimum wage, unpaid rest and meal periods and inaccurate wage statements,” perPEOPLE.

An Additional Lawsuit

Brandy faces this lawsuit on the heels of another. TMZ reports that both Brandy and her stylist Ashley Sean Thomas were sued at the top of the year.

Fashion designer and Beverly Hills store owner Elle B. Mambetov filed legal documents against the ‘I Wanna Be Down’ singer in January. The star was allegedly set to wear a $45,000 ring and an outfit to the American Music Awards. The ring, described as 18-karat rose gold with black volcanic stone, is missing.

“Brandy never saw the ring and has no knowledge of it ever being in her presence. It was never a part of her look for the event,” a rep for the singer toldTMZ.

Want updates directly in your text inbox? Hit us up at 917-722-8057 orclick here to join!

Cassandra Santiago

Cassandra Santiago is a multimedia journalist, editor, and editorial strategist with over a decade of experience shaping conversations across arts, entertainment, culture, and global news. A graduate of the University of Iowa, she has built a cross-platform career spanning newspapers, magazines, radio, and digital media. She joined The Shade Room five years ago and currently serves as a Senior Editor, where she leads editorial direction, oversees exclusive coverage, and trains and edits a team of writers. Cassandra has played a key role in developing high-impact content and editorial strategies for an audience of more than 30 million, contributing to platform growth, engagement, and monetization across multiple channels. In addition to her leadership role, she remains a daily contributor, with her articles generating more than 41 million views since 2023. Beyond The Shade Room, Cassandra offers freelance social media strategy services, speaks on the influence and impact of Black media at public panels, and owns Did It For You, an event design company in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. She is Poynter Institute–certified and was named to the DMV’s 35 Under 35 list in 2024.

x