Betty White’s book publishing golden girl was treated like an old bag by her bosses, court papers say.
Marilyn Ducksworth, the longtime head of Penguin Group’s public relations, says she was forced out of her job because of her age – and despite her unparalleled success, which included getting the beloved nonagenarian actress and author White some facetime in the Oval Office with President Obama.
In papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Ducksworth, who’s handled pr campaigns for the likes of Tom Clancy, Maureen Down, Ken Follett, Goldie Hawn and White, says she found herself in the crosshairs of the publishing giant’s president, Susan Kennedy, beginning last June.
Kennedy “began a campaign to marginalize Duckworth and other older, long term members of Duckworth’s staff,” the filing says. That included ordering the 56-year-old to can one longtime employee for one minor infraction, overruling her on hiring decisions, cutting two of her staffers’ salaries by over 30 percent and reducing her responsibilities.
In a statement, Penguin said Ducksworth resigned, and “it does not condone, nor was there, any age discrimination or retaliation involved in her decision to leave.”
Ducksworth lawyer, Robert Krause, said, “She was forced out. She never wanted to leave. She’d been there 28 years and it was always her intention to finish her career there.”
The suit seeks unspecified money damages.