Exclusive: Civil Rights Activist Suing Steve Harvey For $5 Mill Says Star Hired “Goons” To Scare Her Off Reality Show Deal With Ex-Wife
May 23, 2018
Christopher Peterson/Splash News
Civil Rights Activist Essie Berry Said Steve Harvey Is Trying To Ruin Her Life
Steve Harvey allegedly hired muscle to harass and intimidate a civil rights activist and “murder her emotional state of mind” after he learned that she was working on a reality show with his ex-wife.
That’s according to a new amended $5 million from civil rights activist Essie Berry, who has sued the “Family Feud” host for defamation, despicable conduct, intentional infliction of mental anguish and emotional distress after she said he launched a years-long campaign of menacing behavior against her, according to court documents filed May 22 and obtained by BOSSIP.
Berry, the widow of “What’s Happening” sitcom star Fred Berry – alleges Harvey was out to get her after his ex-wife, Mary Vaughn, agreed to participate in a reality show she’d been pitched, titled “Widows, Wives and Ex-Celebrity Wives.” But Berry said she didn’t know that Vaughn had OK’d a nondisclosure agreement as part of her divorce from Harvey that barred her from speaking about their life together.
Berry said once Harvey found out about the potential deal, he and his lawyer tried to silence Berry though “malicious prosecution,” and he publicly accused her of being an “extortionist” and a “co-conspirator,” smearing her good name and causing the reality show offers to dry up.
“…The defendant went (to) great lengths to make Ms. Berry’s life a living hell,” Berry wrote in court docs.
Harvey has denied any wrongdoing and accused Berry of abusing the justice system.
In her new complaint, Berry said that Harvey allegedly took his harassment a step further and had unknown individuals browbeat her over the phone, tried to confront her at a family member’s home and that on another occasion, late at night, a man hid in the bushes outside of a friend’s home and peered in the windows looking for Berry.
“When someone saw the man peeking in the window, he was confronted,” Berry wrote in her new complaint. “This is when he identified himself as an affiliate of Harvey, not an officer of any court. He asked for the plaintiff by first name, then ran off.”
Fearing for her life, Berry then filed a police report about the incident and got a restraining order that barred Harvey from getting anywhere near her, her court papers say.
Berry also accused Harvey’s affiliates of tampering with her mail, creating ominous videos on YouTube to threaten her and said she believes the TV star and others of stalking her.
Last year, Berry acted as Vaughn’s power of attorney to file a civil suit against her ex-husband, alleging, among other things, infliction of emotional distress and “soul murder.” Berry said Harvey, his lawyer, and a Texas judge then used the gag order to threaten her into not representing Vaughn on that case, which was later thrown out.
Berry said she has suffered extreme fear, anxiety, humiliation, hypertension, shame and panic attacks because of Harvey and his cronies alleged behavior and is now under doctor’s care. She wants $5 million for her pain and suffering and for Harvey to publicly clear Berry’s name.