Wendy Williams’ Ex-Husband Kevin Hunter Sues Talk Show Production Company

Wendy Williams’ ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, is taking the production company behind The Wendy Williams Show to court, claiming he was wrongfully terminated by Debmar-Mercury from his longtime role as executive producer on the show after his split from Williams. In court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Hunter claims he was fired “on the basis of his marital status, which is barred by the New York City Human Rights Law.”

Hunter claimed that within days of Williams’ 2019 divorce filing, he received a notice from Debmar-Mercury founder Ira Bernstein telling him that his termination was “effective immediately.” Hunter began working on the show in 2007, a decade after he wed Williams, and about seven years after the couple welcomed son Kevin Jr. in 2000. In 2019, Williams filed for divorce after Hunter was revealed to have fathered a child with his mistress, and their split was finalized in 2020.

“The termination of Plaintiff was based strictly upon Plaintiff’s marital status and his impending divorce to the Show’s host, ignoring all of the contributions that Plaintiff made to make the Show a success,” the filing continued. “As a result of Defendants’ aforesaid actions and the breach of their agreement with Hunter, the Defendants have been unjustly enriched from Plaintiff’s Executive Producer contributions to the Show, as well as enduring Product Integrations engagements Plaintiff has brought to the Show and that the Show has retained.”

Hunter’s suit also referenced the latest development with his ex-wife’s show. William’s ongoing health issues have caused her to take a step back from hosting her talk show, and while guest hosts have taken over in her stead, Sherri Shepherd was recently announced to be taking The Wendy Williams Show‘s time slot after this season ends with her own show, titled Sherri.

Hunter said in the suit that “many of the elements” he “helped conceptualize and the product integrations he created” for Williams’ show will be a part of Shepherd’s new series: “Even though The Wendy Williams Show will be over, Defendants will continue to be unjustly enriched by Plaintiff’s initial work including his initial concepts created for the Show and Plaintiff’s product integration agreements,” the complaint read.

Hunter declared in the filing that he was “an integral part of the inner workings of the Show” and that the series “never recovered” after his firing. He is seeking “compensatory, punitive damages, an award of costs, interest and attorney’s fees, and such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper,” claiming in the court filing that he has suffered between $7 million to $10 million in economic loss due to his termination.