Lisa Hamilton Daly, Hallmark Media’s vice president of programming, instructed a former employee not to cast “older people” for Hallmark roles, saying “our leading ladies are getting older,” according to a lawsuit filed this month against the network and obtained by The. Associated Press.

Casting director Penny Perry, 79, who filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Oct. 9, claims she was unfairly fired from the network known for feel-good movies because of her age and despite excellent performance reviews. “Hallmark’s happy endings are just made-for-TV stories,” the complaint states. “There was no happy ending in Ms. Perry’s case, and no feel-good episode to cap off her career on Hallmark. Instead, the final episode was marred by abuse of the elderly and disabled, and a callous termination that robbed him of his illustrious career, pride, and prosperity.

Hallmark denied the allegations in a statement, adding: “Hallmark continues to consistently build and maintain positive, productive relationships with talented actors who represent a broad spectrum of diversity, including actors spanning many age groups and generations.”

According to the lawsuit, Hamilton Daly told Perry that they needed to “replace” the “old talent,” including 42-year-old actress Lacey Chabert, who has starred in dozens of Hallmark movies, many of them Christmas-themed, and plays Gretchen. In Mean Girls (2004), Wieners says that Chabert “is getting older, and as she gets older, we need to find someone like her to replace her.”

The lawsuit states that Hamilton Daly said of 60-year-old actress and “Our Christmas Journey” star Holly Robinson Peete: “Nobody wants her because she’s too expensive and she’s getting too old. “He can’t play leading roles anymore.”

Hallmark countered: “Lacey and Holly have a home at Hallmark. We generally do not comment on pending litigation. “While we deny these outrageous allegations, we will not discuss a business relationship in the media,” a company representative said in an emailed statement to the AP.

Chabert stars in the new Hallmark movie The Christmas Quest, scheduled to premiere on December 1, and hosts the reality series “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert,” according to Hallmark’s website. Representatives for Chabert and Robinson Peete did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Perry himself was subjected to ageist and disability-based harassment at the company, and Hamilton Daly, who apparently repeatedly mentioned age as a negative trait that did not fit the network’s image, “told Ms. Perry that she was too ‘in the tooth’ to keep it up” job,” the lawsuit says. Additionally, senior vice president of programming and development Randy Pope allegedly mocked Perry for his relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis by making fun of him when he mispronounced words or names, a symptom of the condition.

“Unfortunately, Hallmark treated a respected Hollywood veteran in this manner, and we hope this action will lead to change in Hollywood and all working environments,” Perry’s attorneys, Lisa Sherman and Josh Schein, said in a statement.

The allegations come at a time of turmoil in Hollywood. historic workers strikesepidemic and broadcast revolution.

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