Hamptons millionaire's wife called black chef 'chocolate-covered marshmallow', said she's more eloquent than Alicia Keys: Lawsuit
The wife of a wealthy Hamptons hedge fund manager has been accused of being racist by her personal chef.
Lisa Falcone, the wife of Philip Falcone, said that her chef's black girlfriend was a "chocolate-covered marshmallow" and was more articulate than her “black friends” Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, according to the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court on Wednesday, November 6, New York Daily News reported.
Chef Brian Villanueva, who was working at a dinner party for the woman on June 14, alleged that Lisa made racist remarks towards his girlfriend saying, "Your girlfriend speaks very well. She seems educated. I would describe her as a chocolate-covered marshmallow."
The girlfriend, who is also a chef, was part of the dinner party thrown by the Falcones for a group of 13. Keys and Beatz are also said to have attended the party.
"Do you use the word ‘n---a’ at home with your girlfriend?" she allegedly asked Brian, adding, "I'm Puerto Rican and grew up in Spanish Harlem so I can speak like that."
Brian, who is Filipino, was offended but Lisa did not seem to notice that. When he confronted her, she said that she meant that his girlfriend was "really eloquently" spoken. "Alicia (Keys) doesn’t speak that way. She didn’t have an education and was just discovered by (record producer) Clive Davis when she was 15 years old. Swizz (Beatz) definitely doesn’t speak that way either," she allegedly said, the suit says.
Brian later resigned citing uncomfortable work environment. This was when Lisa reportedly told him, "You’re not ethnic like black people and Puerto Rican people. You’re only a minority," the suit says. Then she added, "Talk to my black friends. They will tell you that I am not racist.”
Brian took the matter to Philip Falcone who refused to believe him because Lisa's "two best friends are African American", screengrabs from their conversation were part of the lawsuit.
At the time, Philip agreed to look at the audio systems for any recording of the conversation that happened in the kitchen.
However, Philip soon changed his tune and said Brian and his girlfriend would have to sign NDAs if they wanted to get their unpaid salaries of $4,230.
“Philip Falcone told (Villanueva) the only way he would pay Plaintiff money he lawfully owed him was if both he and his girlfriend agree to sign agreements that they’d never talk about the comments made by Defendant Lisa Falcone to anyone for the rest of their lives or the fact that they entered into such agreements,” the suit reads.
Philip was charged for fraud by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2012 for evading taxes.