Howard Stern has been dragged to court by one of his former staff members, who is accusing him of fostering a hostile work environment with a set of “bizarre” rules.
The assistant is also accusing the shock jock and his wife, Beth Stern, of wrongful termination, which she says was allegedly due to the hostile nature of working with them.
Some of Howard Stern’s former staff previously revealed the “frightening” truth of working for him, as some claimed he wasn’t paying them well despite him “making countless millions of dollars.”
Howard Stern’s Former Assistant Reveals Stringent NDA Agreement
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Howard Stern’s former assistant filed a lawsuit against him and his wife, Beth Stern, claiming they made working for them very difficult with the strict set of rules they imposed.
According to Page Six, Leslie Kuhn filed the lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court over the weekend, claiming the SiriusXM star made her sign NDA documents that forbid her from business matters as well as the couple’s personal affairs.
Kuhn, who managed their home in the Hamptons, added in the court document that the agreement bans her from disclosing their family’s “daily activities and personal habits,” including minor details like their “food preferences, sleeping habits, [and] hobbies.”
The ban seemingly covers an exhaustive range as it also barred her from discussing the types of consumer products they use, choice of restaurants, hotels, or other establishments, entertainment preferences, political affiliations, and “any other matters affecting or relating to the Company and its business, and the personal and business affairs of the Company.”
The alleged agreement seemingly held her spellbound as she also couldn’t discuss the “location or contents of residences and other properties,” as well as their “travel arrangements.”
The Comedian’s Former Assistant Sued Him Over Wrongful Termination
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Elsewhere in the complaint, the executive assistant noted that she was made in charge of other staff managing the goings on within their mansion, as well as Beth’s “extensive at-home feline rescue and fostering operations.”
This seemingly resulted in a pay bump as Howard’s production company handed her a letter to that effect in December 2025, stating that her salary would be increased to $265,000, along with an $80,000 bonus in 2026. However, she was fired in February, just 2 months into the regime of the new pay.
In the court documents, Kuhn stated that she believes her termination was a result of the hostile work environment, as well as “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.”
Howard Stern’s Former Assistant Wants Judge To Render NDA Unenforceable
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Kuhn is asking that the judge make the NDA unenforceable as it prevents her from talking about her experience with Howard and Beth, as well as her employment and termination.
Conversely, the NDA allegedly does not stop the couple from speaking openly about Kuhn.
“Such a contractual relationship would place Kuhn — a mere at-will employee with considerably less influence and resources than the Sterns, their affiliated entities and associates — at a distinct and unfair advantage personally, professionally and publicly,” the document reads, per Page Six.
Howard and his wife, Beth, have yet to comment on the lawsuit.
Former Employees Recall The Comedian’s Alleged ‘Frightening’ Treatment Of Staff
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Meanwhile, several years before Kuhn came forward with her claims, some of Howard’s former staff went public on his alleged maltreatment of them.
In the 2023 Vice TV docuseries “Dark Side of the 2000s Shock Jocks,” staff who worked on “The Howard Stern Show” from 1986 to 2005 spilled some “frightening” details about working with him, as some claimed he doesn’t pay them well.
Writer and cast member for the show, Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling claimed most of Howard’s staff “weren’t getting paid well,” despite the fact that he is “making countless millions of dollars.”
“It was frightening what was going on,” Martling said, per Page Six. “There was so much money coming in. It was crazy the amount of money.”
In fact, Howard refused to increase his salary, which made him finally sever working ties.
“You are beyond rich and successful, and you have someone sitting next to you who makes you enjoy that job much more. And you let them go?” Martling said about Stern. “Because he asked for more money? Especially when you’re friends. It boggles the mind.”
Howard Stern’s Former Staff Revealed Startling Boost After Working For Jay Leno
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Also on the show, “Stuttering John” Melendez said he was only making $20,000 a year, and after working for Howard for 15 years, he left to join Jay Leno.
That seemed to have been the best move for him as he claimed that he started earning around $350,000 to $400,000 while working with Leno.
“He couldn’t let me evolve and be happy,” Melendez said about the shock jock.
