Lady Gaga took a hit Tuesday when a federal judge ruled that her personal assistant’s overtime lawsuit can proceed to trial, according to court papers.
Lady Gaga – whose legal name is Stefani Germanotta – was sued by her assistant Jennifer O’Neill, who claimed the 27-year-old “Bad Romance” singer worked her to the bone but never paid her overtime.
“I was by her side virtually 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” O’Neill testified earlier.
O’Neill said she was paid a flat rate of $50,000 per year when she was first hired in early 2009 and $75,000 when she hired the second time in 2010.
Manhattan Federal Court Judge Paul Gardephe said the suit can move forward on two issues – whether O’Neill’s on-call time constituted work and how any potential overtime pay should be calculated, according to court papers.
“While on tour, O’Neill often slept in the same bed as Germonatta, and in the event Germonatta needed something in the middle of the night, Plaintiff was expected to satisfy that demand,” the Judge wrote.
The judge did throw out one portion of the suit – which seeks $390,000 plus damages – dismissing O’Neill’s claim that she should be compensated under New York State law for overtime she did outside the state.
The trial is scheduled to begin November 4.
Lawyers for the New York-raised Lady Gaga could not be reached. O’Neill lawyer Virginia Trunkes declined comment.