(Moet/Splash News)
She’s the mother of one of the world’s biggest movie stars — but she can’t afford to buy a Manhattan apartment.
Scarlett Johansson’s mom and former manager, Melanie Sloan, signed a contract to purchase a $1.4 million two-bedroom in Midtown in October.
But less than two months later, the California dweller sued the owner of the 1,228-square-foot pad in The Strand at 500 W. 43rd St. — a doorman building with a swimming pool — demanding the return of her $130,000 deposit. She claimed she is cash-poor and can’t obtain a mortgage, according to court papers.
The real-estate battle offers a rare peek into the finances of a stage mother, whose famous daughter was a cash cow until she canned her mom two years ago and hired a professional manager.
Even though Sloan attempted to manage clients besides her daughter, the move left ScarJo’s mom with no major source of income, according to her lawyers.
Last October, Sloan, 60, presented the apartment sellers, violinist Christina Castelli and pianist Grant Moffett, with a strong financial profile, even claiming 2011 was one of her “best years yet in the entertainment industry,” according to the sellers’ lawyers. The move would bring her closer to ScarJo, who lives in Manhattan.
The stage mom managed her daughter’s career since Scarlett made her big-screen debut at age 9 in Rob Reiner’s “North.” She took a 10 percent cut of all earnings, according to a contract reviewed by The Post. ScarJo’s parents separated when she was 13.
But in November 2009, Scarlett sacked mom in favor of Hollywood power agent Rick Yorn, whose roster includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz.
“Once I got married, I felt that I needed to cut the cord,” the 26-year-old star told Vanity Fair last month. (She divorced actor Ryan Reynolds in July.)
Sloan told the seller she still had money coming in from projects she had signed for ScarJo, including campaigns with Moët Champagne, Dolce & Gabbana and the “Iron Man” movies.
But now she claims the money spigot has been turned off. A few weeks after signing the contract, Sloan suddenly cried poverty.
On Nov. 14, Sloan’s accountant wrote that the loss of her daughter as a client was a damaging blow to her earning potential, according to the sellers’ lawyers.
On Nov. 25, Hudson City Savings Bank denied Sloan a mortgage, according to court papers.
Sloan is now suing not only for her deposit, but for another $20,000 to cover attorney fees, according to filings.
Because she seemed wealthy on paper, the sellers signed a contract that allowed Sloan to cancel the deal if she failed to obtain a mortgage. But Sloan may have had less money in the pipeline than she thought.
In a Nov. 9 e-mail to ScarJo’s agent, Sloan writes to inquire about upcoming payments related to her daughter’s work.
“Do you know if there are any further Moët or D&G payments next year? Scarlett said there was something due,” she wrote to agent Troy Bailey in an e-mail obtained by The Post. The response was hardly enough to cover the Manhattan pad.
“The only payment [Scarlett] has due in 2012 is $250,000 from Moët,” Bailey responded.
Sloan would get a $25,000 cut from that campaign.
“We don’t understand how she went from being rich to poor in two weeks,” said Adam Leitman Bailey, a lawyer for the sellers.
“She acted in bad faith, and therefore our clients have the legal right to keep her down payment.”