NEWSHoward and Beth Stern's Strict and Unusual Rules Revealed in Wrongful Termination Lawsuit
Former executive assistant Leslie Kuhn sued Howard and Beth Stern for wrongful termination.
April 7 2026, Published 7:20 a.m. ET
Howard Stern and Beth Stern are facing fresh legal drama after a former employee filed a lawsuit claiming she was wrongfully terminated.
According to documents obtained by an outlet, Leslie Kuhn — who previously worked as an executive assistant managing the couple’s Hamptons home — is suing the pair for allegedly creating a hostile work environment. The complaint was filed in the New York Supreme Court.
Howard and Beth Stern are facing a lawsuit from former assistant Leslie Kuhn.
In the filing, Leslie said she was responsible for overseeing the staff at the Sterns’ Southampton mansion, handling day-to-day operations and managing Beth’s “extensive at-home feline rescue and fostering operations.”
Things seemed to be going well at one point. In December 2025, the ex-staffer claimed she received a letter from Howard’s production company saying she would get a raise, bringing her salary to $265,000, along with an $80,000 bonus in 2026.
But just months later, everything changed.
Leslie said she was fired in February by One Twelve Inc., with Vice President of Finance Mark D. Garten, citing “alleged misconduct” as the reason for her termination.
Documents revealed Leslie Kuhn oversaw the couple’s day-to-day operations.
Now, she’s pushing back — and making serious claims about what it was like working inside the Stern household.
According to court documents, Leslie believes her firing stemmed from a toxic work environment, pointing to “immense pressures on the household created by irresponsible and untenable animal rescue and fostering operations occurring on-site, and massively disorganized and questionable business operations and accounting practices.”
She also alleged that she was presented with a non-disclosure agreement she claims she never signed.
According to the lawsuit, Leslie was asked to agree to strict terms that would prevent her from discussing nearly every aspect of the Sterns’ lives — both personal and professional.
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Leslie Kuhn alleged she was promised a raise and a bonus but was fired months later.
The NDA allegedly barred her from sharing details about the couple’s “daily activities and personal habits,” including their “food preferences, sleeping habits [and] hobbies.”
Leslie also claimed she would have been prohibited from speaking about their use of products, favorite restaurants, hotels, entertainment choices, political views and “any other matters affecting or relating to the Company and its business, and the personal and business affairs of the Company.”
The former staffer is now seeking to have the NDA declared unenforceable.
Additional restrictions reportedly included anything related to the “location or contents of residences and other properties,” as well as their “travel arrangements.”
Because of this, Leslie is asking the court to declare the NDA unenforceable, arguing it prevents her from speaking openly about her experience — including her termination.
At the same time, she claimed the agreement would not stop Howard and Beth from speaking freely about her.
“Such a contractual relationship would place Kuhn — a mere at-will employee with considerably less influence and resources than the Sterns, their affiliated entities and associates — at a distinct and unfair advantage personally, professionally and publicly,” the filing stated.
