Matt Groening has been named in a lawsuit filed by a former employee.
Giavanna Scotto sued the 70-year-old Simpsons creator and his wife Agustina Picasso on multiple charges, including failing to prevent sexual harassment and failing to prevent sexual assault and physical assault, according to TMZ.
She worked as a property manager for Groening at his Santa Monica estate, where she says she complained of harassment by a co-worker.
The suit says Groening and Picasso, 47, “failed to act” when a co-worker sexually assaulted Scotto.
Scotto accused the colleague of grabbing her breasts and buttocks, as well as kissing her on the mouth several times, without her consent.
Giavanna Scotto is suing The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and his wife Agustina Picasso on multiple charges including failing to prevent sexual harassment and failing to prevent sexual assault and physical assault.
Based on the animated shorts he made for The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987, Groening created The Simpsons for Fox in 1989.
The plaintiff said she received inappropriate text messages from her co-worker that said things like “hey honey” and “I miss you.”
“I miss you so much, I love you, I hope you’re okay, I love you, I love you,” she said she wrote, and also: “I love you, how is our son?”
She said she “felt harassed” as he continued to harass her via text messages, unfazed by her lack of response.
Scotto claimed the couple “failed to take appropriate corrective action” after she told Picasso, who “clearly knew about the harassment and failed to act.”
In the lawsuit, she said the couple’s lack of action caused her harasser to continue his behavior even after she was employed.
Scotto also accused the couple of firing her in June 2022 without warning or reason.
Groening married Picasso in 2011, becoming stepfather to his daughter Camila Constantini.
They also share son Nathaniel Philip, 11, twin daughters Luna Margaret and India Mia, 9, as well as twins Sol Matthew and Venus Ruth, 6, daughter Nirvana, 4, and son Satori, 2.
Additionally, the Emmy Award winner shares sons Homer and Abe with his ex-wife Deborah Caplan, to whom he was married from 1986 to 1999.
The suit says Groening and Picasso, 47, “failed to act” when a co-worker sexually assaulted Scotto, who worked as his property manager.
Scotto claimed the couple “failed to take appropriate corrective action” after she told Picasso, who “clearly knew about the harassment and failed to act.”
Scotto also accused the couple of firing her in June 2022 without warning or reason.
Based on the animated shorts he made for The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987, Groening created The Simpsons for Fox in 1989.
Season 36 of the animated series premieres in September.
After the Homer patriarch joked in November that he no longer strangles his son Bart, despite their long history, Groening shared a response.
“Homer Simpson was not available for comment because he was busy strangling Bart,” it said with an illustration of the father strangling his son.
Groening has won 11 Emmy Awards for The Simpsons, as well as two for his show Futurama.
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