Welcome to Weird and Wacky Wednesdays, where we explore the most peculiar and amusing legal stories. This week, we’re diving into some truly bizarre stripper-related litigation. These cases are as wild as a night out on the town! Let’s get into these strip-tacular legal battles!
Las Vegas Stripper Sued for Committing Relationship Fraud
An Arkansas man is suing a Las Vegas exotic dancer for $38.5 million, claiming that she “hoodwinked [him] into thinking they were in an exclusive, romantic relationship” for 10 years. Fred Brunner claims to have given Melanie Sterling $3.5 million in cash and gifts since 2014, much of which she allegedly turned over to her real boyfriend in Las Vegas. He also claims to have funded multiple trips and even a home for her.
The lawsuit alleges that Sterling communicated with Brunner daily for 10 years, creating the charade of a relationship for her own financial gain. “All along, she had no intention of following through on her representations, doing only that necessary to keep [the] plaintiff from becoming suspicious of her actual intentions,” the lawsuit claims.
It turns out visits to a gentleman’s club can lead to expensive heartbreak.
Strippers Sue Alabama Club for $100k, Say Forced to Give Up Their Tips
Exotic dancers are suing an Alabama strip club for at least $100,000 in compensatory damages, alleging that it forced them into giving up hard-earned tips to pay other workers. In a complaint filed in the Northern District of Alabama, the strippers accused Sammy’s Gentlemen’s Club in Birmingham of taking their tips and demanding “illegal kickbacks.”
The lawsuit accused Sammy’s of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act, specifically the tipped-employee compensation provision, which requires that employers pay a tipped worker a minimum of $2.13 per hour. According to the lawsuit, the strip club did not pay the dancers wages; their income came solely from customers’ tips, a portion of which they were contractually obliged to pay to Sammy’s.
The dancers also claimed they were forced to pay “house fees” to work there, which they argue amounted to unlawful kickbacks. Talk about a raw deal—paying to work while dancing to earn a living!
‘Protected Speech:’ 19-year-old Dancer Sues Over Florida Strip Club Age Restriction
Florida recently implemented a law prohibiting anyone under the age of 21 from working in strip clubs, aiming to combat human trafficking. However, a 19-year-old dancer is suing the state, arguing that the law violates her First Amendment rights.
Serenity Michelle Bushey, along with the club where she worked, sued Florida’s attorney general and two local prosecutors to stop the enforcement of the new law. Bushey claims she lost her job at Cafe Risque in the Gainesville area after the law took effect. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Tallahassee, seeks a permanent injunction, claiming it violates their First Amendment right to free speech and Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection.
Besides Bushey, eight other adult performers who are older than 18 but younger than 21 are unable to work at Cafe Risque because of the new law. The lawsuit argues that the performers have a legal right to engage in protected speech through their work. It also highlights that the law prohibits hiring other workers in the same age group for various roles, from cooks to DJs.
Local attorney Glen Torcivia noted the challenge the state might face: “There is definitely some latitude for governments to regulate, but when you start dropping the age and it’s been 18 the whole time, unless you’ve got some data that says, ‘here’s the problem and this will help solve it,’ I think the state’s gonna have a hard time winning this case unless they have that data.”
If you’re looking for excitement, come back next week. It may not be the naked truth, but we always look for the sexiest law-news stories for Weird and Wacky Wednesdays
