The black sheep of Broadway’s Nederlander family cleared up his docket of girlfriend-bothering charges today, taking a no-jail plea to misdemeanor criminal contempt and agreeing to a half-year of mental health counseling.
Under the plea, Eric Nederlander, 46, can still see the girlfriend in question, Nancy Okun, whose West 12th Street apartment he admitted today he’d entered without permission, in violation of an order of protection. He just can’t harass or hurt her without facing new felony contempt charges.
“You f–king bitch! You’re cheating on me!” Eric Nederlander had allegedly shouted as he threw himself against her front door back in May, according to the original complaint against him.
Manhattan prosecutors agreed today to toss a second, previous contempt charge for allegedly violating another of Okun’s orders of protection in January by yanking her hair while she was sleeping.
“You’re cheating on me!” he allegedly yelled as he yanked.
Immediately after taking his plea, Nederlander was brought to another room in Manhattan Criminal Court, where he submitted to a mandatory cheek swab. His DNA be added to the state registry.
Nederlander must return to court Dec. 3 to confirm that he is complying with counseling.
“My client was not charged with breaking and entering; he was not charged with burglary. What he pled guilty to today was violating a stay-away order,” explained Nederlander’s lawyer, Evan Lipton. “He took this plea to put this behind him.”
The lawyer would not comment on the status of Nederlander’s relationship with Okun.
He was last in a Manhattan courtroom in May, when he settled a bitter custody dispute with his estranged wife over their 4-year-old daughter. A trial over money issues is expected later this year.