Rob Lowe: Another Scandal Brewing

has reportedly filed separate lawsuits against three former employees, accusing them of breach of contract, defamation and intentional distress. In one of the suits, Lowe accuses an ex-nanny of engaging in a scheme to hurt the couple by spreading malicious lies.

Another ex-nanny is accused of falsely claiming to have a personal and intimate relationship with Lowe, and also repeatedly expressing romantic interest in Rob, claiming that Lowe sexually harassed her and that Sheryl Berkoff Lowe was an abusive employer. Lowe claims a former chef engaged in sex on their bed with third parties when the family was out of town, stole prescription drugs from the Lowe's, broke several security cameras and overcharged them for food. He also allegedly made statements to various people that Sheryl was heartless, cold and unclean.

The AP confirms that Lowe and his wife filed a lawsuit Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking $1,000,000 or more in damages, and charging Laura Boyce with violating a confidentiality agreement, defamation and infliction of emotional distress on Lowe and his family.

Lowe claims the nanny is trying to extort money from the couple and is demanding $1.5 million by the end of this week for her silence. Lowe took the bull by the horns and decided to come out of the gate before his wayward employees could go public with their claims. Based on the three pronged lawsuit, it looks like the employees formed an alliance to back up the claims of the others.

This battle comes 20 years after Lowe’s 1988 sex scandal, in which he was caught on tape having sex with a teenager. The actor was involved in a sex scandal over a videotape of him having sex with two females, one of whom was sixteen. The incident occurred in Atlanta while Lowe was attending the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Lowe has asserted that he did not know that the second girl was underage, and it was confirmed that the two had met at a bar, which the girl entered by lying about her age.

Further complicating the issue was another part of the same tape that leaked at the time, showing Lowe, a young American model called "Jennifer," and "Justin Morris" having a menage a trois in a hotel room in Paris. This part of the original tape was made commercially available, and was sold as one of the first commercially available celebrity sex tapes, damaging Lowe's public image.

Lowe entered a rehabilitation clinic for alcohol and sex addiction. Eventually, his career rebounded, and Lowe mocked his own behavior during two post-scandal appearances as host of SNL.

This entire case sounds like Lowe is scrambling to head off another full blown scandal. Seeking $1 million in damages from his employees is amusing. Does he honestly think they have that kind of money - even collectively? Of course he doesn't. His lawyer is trying to silence these people swiftly before Rob Lowe is forced to explain away some salacious accusations. He's done that once and barely escaped with his career. The second time is not always the charm.

Lowe, 44, had a prominent role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing. He currently has a recurring role as Senator Robert McCallister on Brothers & Sisters. He has been married to Sheryl Berkoff for 16 years. She was a Hollywood makeup artist who worked on the sets of fourteen big name movies prior to marrying Lowe. They have two sons, Edward, 14 and John, 12. The family lives in Montecito, California.

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