Howard Stern and his legal team have denied allegations of a hostile work environment made by his former assistant Leslie Kuhn, accusing her of attempting a 'shakedown' for hush money. Kuhn, who filed a lawsuit last month, claims she was fired and subjected to a hostile work environment, while Stern's team argues she signed non-disclosure agreements and is seeking publicity. Kuhn denies demanding $2.5 million in damages and is instead seeking to invalidate the NDAs.
READ MORE: Howard Stern has hit back at a hostile work environment lawsuit filed by his former assistant Leslie Kuhn , which targets him and his wife Beth Stern.
In a motion filed on Wednesday, Stern’s legal team accused Kuhn of attempting to secure a 'staggering"hush-money" payment' from him and his production company before the lawsuit was even initiated, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The radio host denies all claims of fostering a hostile work environment, describing the lawsuit as a 'shakedown.
' ‘We are not going to play this out in public,’ Stern’s lawyer Ilene Farkas said in a statement. 'The Sterns are entitled to enforce non-disclosure agreements signed by employees who enter their home and their private life, and they have filed a motion to address the lawsuit and the conduct of Ms. Kuhn and her lawyer.
' Kuhn, who filed the suit last month, alleges she was fired and subjected to a ‘hostile work environment’, claiming the Sterns handed her confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements before and during her termination. She is seeking ‘costs of this action’ and other relief the Court ‘deems just’, and has also filed an amended complaint requesting the ‘right to speak freely’.
Howard Stern has hit back at a hostile work environment lawsuit filed by his former assistant Leslie Kuhn, which targets him and his wife Beth Stern In a motion filed on Wednesday, Stern’s legal team accused Kuhn of attempting to secure a 'staggering"hush-money" payment' from him and his production company before the lawsuit was even initiated In Wednesday’s motion, Stern’s attorneys described Kuhn’s claims as a ‘thinly veiled attempted shakedown’ and said she ‘hatched a plan to extract a staggering ‘hush-money’ payment’ from her former employers, per the outlet. Kuhn has denied demanding $2.5 million in damages, with her attorney telling the Daily Mail she is not seeking any ‘compensatory damages’ but only wants the NDAs declared void and unenforceable.
Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Howard Stern's fired assistant DENIES she is demanding $2.5m damages The Sterns’ filing further alleges that Kuhn ‘manufactured a nonexistent ‘dispute’ and filed this pretextual lawsuit founded on a series of bald-faced lies. ’ It adds that she ‘indisputably signed’ the non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements and ‘immediately ran to the press to generate negative, utterly false publicity, hoping the Sterns would simply pay her to make her ‘go away.
’’ The motion emphasizes that Howard and Beth never spoke negatively about Kuhn publicly and that ‘the only reason Kuhn’s termination has become public is because she and her counsel chose to file this sensationalized lawsuit, announced her termination to the world, and then deliberately fanned media attention. ’ ‘Attempting to cloak herself as a silenced victim, Kuhn pretends she filed this action to ‘protect her reputation’ and defend herself against ‘accusations’ defendants made.
'Nonsense,’ the filing continues. ‘Kuhn does not and cannot allege that defendants ever disclosed, or even threatened to disclose, any information about her. ’ ‘A plaintiff may not manufacture publicity, claim injury from that publicity, and then demand that the Court rescue her from the consequences of her own self-inflicted harm,’ the Sterns' attorneys concluded.
In Wednesday’s motion, Stern’s attorneys described Kuhn’s claims as a ‘thinly veiled attempted shakedown’ and said she ‘hatched a plan to extract a staggering ‘hush-money’ payment’ from her former employers, per the outlet What Kuhn wants, according to a court document filed in early April and obtained by the Daily Mail, is to 'protect her right to speak freely' about her employment and firing.
In the new document, she said the 'monetary value' of that right was 'no less than $2.5 million,' with her lawyer telling the Daily Mail she had to assign a quote of at least $500,000 to the 'relief' she was seeking in order to get her case in front of the commercial division of the New York County Supreme Court. However, her lawsuit does not ask Stern to actually pay her that sum even if she wins, and is merely seeking to establish her right to discuss her time in his employ.
Her original lawsuit obtained by the Daily Mail took aim at the Sterns, as well as his production company One Twelve, Inc., and The Howard Stern Production Company, Inc. over allegations the defendants presented Kuhn with fraudulent and unenforceable non-disclosure agreements. According to the legal filing, she was first employed by SiriusXM on The Howard Stern Show as an 'office manager' in September 2022. She became Stern's executive assistant in January 2024.
'At no time was Kuhn's employment as Stern's Executive Assistant ever conditioned on Kuhn entering into an employment contract or non-disclosure/confidentiality agreement with any person or persons, natural or otherwise,' the document states. In May 2024 Kuhn moved to the couple's Southampton, New York estate at their request in order to work at the couple's $20million 'apocalypse bunker.
' Kuhn claims Beth then greatly expanded her duties, and made her manage mansion staff, including payroll, as well as household operations, such as the star's famed at-home cat rescue and fostering operation. In May 2024, and at the request of Stern and his wife Kuhn moved to Southampton, New York, to work at the couple's $20million 'apocalypse bunker' Per the document, Kuhn's employment was terminated in February 2026, which she claims was due to a 'hostile work environment and enablement of that hostile work environment, immense pressures on the household created by irresponsible and untenable animal rescue and fostering operations occurring on-site, and massively disorganized and questionable business operations and accounting practices.
' Kuhn claims she was accused of 'alleged misconduct' before her termination by One Twelve's Vice President of Finance Mark D. Garten, which she denies. She also claims her termination came after she received a letter in December 2025 from Stern's production company stating that she would be getting a raise to $265,000 and an $80,000 bonus in 2026.
Per the document, Kuhn claims a law firm representing One Twelve presented her with a 'separation agreement' on or about February 26, 2026 - which included an NDA. She claims it was made to look like it was signed when she first started working for Stern years prior - which she denies ever doing.
Kuhn further claims the NDA was signed before she interviewed for the position and alleges the signature 'is nothing more than her typewritten name in the same font style and size used to identify the parties' names in the recitals of the agreement.
' She claims the NDA was 'manufactured by the Defendants in general and Beth Stern in particular. ' Kuhn has asked the court to declare the NDA and Confidentiality Agreement unenforceable so she can discuss her employment and termination 'freely'. The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for the Sterns for comment and has yet to hear back.
Last year Stern announced he had signed a new three-year deal with SiriusXM - after weeks of speculation his eponymous show was set to end. His declaration swiftly ended months of retirement rumors, which had stemmed from an earlier prank in which he made fans believe his show was on track to being axed.
Thousands across the internet took to social media to claim that Stern is nothing more than a 'has-been' who should have retired years ago when it was announced last year he had signed a new contract with SiriusXM 'I am happy to announce that I have figured out a way to have it all... more free time and continuing to be on the radio,' Stern told fans on the mic.
'Yes, we are coming back for three years,' he revealed. The news wasn’t received graciously online, where social media users flooded platforms with criticism as many claimed that Stern is nothing more than a 'has-been' who should have retired years ago. This marks the third time Stern has extended his contract with the satellite radio company, following previous deals in 2010 and 2020 - the latter a five-year, $500 million agreement, according to Forbes.
'I'm old as f***. I'm not supposed to be working... Where do I begin with this? Some of the staff said,"Can we come in and guess?
" People working here are hoping I stay,' he said to his fans on Tuesday. However, the broadcaster admitted that he enjoys having 'free time,' despite his enduring passion for radio.
'I need me time. I've never had me time. I've been working my whole life. Never really having a personal life,' Stern explained.
'I thought maybe at this point in my life, I could have some free time,' he added. 'It would be sad, but exciting for me. ' In May 2024 Kuhn moved to the couple's Southampton, New York estate at their request in order to work at the couple's $20million 'apocalypse bunker'; the Sterns pictured in 2019 He gave a loose preview of the next three years, with summers off and limited visits to SiriusXM’s New York studios.
'I was really torn up,' Stern told fans. 'I still do love being on the radio. I think the show is better than ever.
' The host joined what was then Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. in 2006 and became one of the highest-paid personalities in broadcasting - a game-changer for both the company and the industry. At its height, The Howard Stern Show reached 60 markets and drew over 20 million listeners. Rumors about Stern’s future with SiriusXM erupted in August 2025 and flared again when he postponed his September return after his summer break.
A source told the Daily Mail at the time that the delay was due to Stern’s 'frustrations over the new contract' with the audio company. Another insider added in August that Stern 'may do a 1-2 year contract if they can meet him where he wants financially. He doesn't want to pull the plug on his employees like this.
' A separate source said the star 'would likely sell his catalogue of shows to replay' on the uncensored channels Howard 100 and Howard 101 if he didn’t renew his contract with SiriusXM. He then went on to do a prank segment with TV personality Andy Cohen in September, who was hosting the program at the time.
'I know you're expecting a big announcement from Howard and this is not how things were meant to go. This was supposed to be a cleaner hand off. I'm kind of winging it,' Cohen said. He also claimed that the show would be called Andy 100 moving forward and added he 'can't possibly fill his void.
' But just 20 minutes later, Stern came onto the air to reveal that it had simply been a prank and explained he postponed his return due to illness rather than contract negotiations. During the episode, he explained, 'I was just getting so f****** annoyed with everyone writing me, asking me if I was okay because I'd been fired.
' 'None of it is true, zero truth,' Stern then said, referring to claims that he had been axed. 'What pisses me off is that now I can't leave. I've been thinking about retiring. Now I can't. '
Howard Stern Lawsuit Hostile Work Environment Non-Disclosure Agreement Leslie Kuhn
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