Ex-‘Real Housewives’ stars pulled off flight sue Virgin America
FORMER “Real Housewives of New Jersey” stars Jim and Amber Marchese on Tuesday fi led a defamation lawsuit against Virgin America Inc, after police pulled the couple off an Apr 20 fl ight and arrested Jim, who according to a fl ight attendant had attacked his wife.
The Marcheses said they had been engaging in “fl irtatious” conduct in their fi rst class seats while returning home on a red- eye fl ight from Los Angeles International Airport, after three weeks in California fi lming another reality TV show, “Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars.”
But according to the complaint fi led in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, fl ight attendant Moriah Rosser, who had recognised the Marcheses and “commented that she did not like” Jim, told airport police he had choked and threatened his wife.
The complaint said this statement was “entirely false,” and that Rosser knew it was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truth.
No charges were fi led, but photographers and paparazzi covered Jim’s release from jail, the complaint said.
Virgin America spokesman Dave Arnold said “there is no merit to this lawsuit,” and the Burlingame, California-based carrier will defend against the claims concerning Rosser.
Jim, 47, and Amber, 39, live in Colts Neck, New Jersey, and have four children. Their lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for alleged defamation, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
“They hope to vindicate their age- old right to be left alone,” the Marcheses’ lawyer Joshua Bauchner said in a telephone interview.
“When a married couple is on a plane returning to see their children, false accusations shouldn’t be levied against them by a fl ight attendant seeking her 15 minutes of fame,” he added.
The Marcheses appeared on the sixth season of “Real Housewives,” which airs on Bravo. In May, they had threatened to sue Virgin America for US$ 100 million. Bauchner said damages would accrue until the matter was resolved. — Reuters