Steve Harvey is facing shocking new accusations of stalking, harassment, and even “murder” of a woman’s “emotional state of mind” in a new lawsuit.
In Los Angeles Superior Court documents filed March 8, The late What’s Happening actor Fred Rerun Berry’s widow, Essie, claimed she received an offer to star in a reality TV show titled Widow, Wives and Ex Celebrity Wives, and reached out to Harvey’s ex Mary Vaughn to join her on the show in 2013.
The self-proclaimed civil rights activist had no idea, she claimed, that the former couple had a sealed gag order in Texas.
Harvey, 61, then “defamed” Berry, allegedly claiming she was an “extortionist” and “co-conspirator.”
“Steve Harvey continued to make attempts to shatter and murder Ms. Berry’s emotional state of mind through the Texas court’s with a lie for years,” Berry wrote.
“Mr. Harvey made attempts to silence Ms. Berry through malicious prosecution in order to protect his super stardom image.”
Berry said Harvey hired a process server to contact her and serve unknown documents, and even follow her to a relative’s home.
In December 2013, she says she filed a police report against Harvey for “threats made on her life,” and later filed a restraining order for protection.
She claimed Harvey was determined to silence a show that “would reveal the truth about Mr. Harvey and Mary’s marriage/breakup, their family life, the ups and downs of being a celebrity ex-wife, and Mr. Harvey’s indiscretions.”
In a previous lawsuit, Harvey’s ex accused him of cheating, stealing her money, and leading her to a mental breakdown and PTSD. (A judge shut down the suit in December 2017, claiming the allegations were a matter for Texas court.)
In January 2014, Berry claims she requested Harvey issue a formal apology, but he refused.
“With feelings of hopelessness and depression, Ms. Berry was forced to be silent for four years in order to protect what little image she had left, and to protect Mary — while Mr. Harvey paraded around making false allegations against both Ms. Berry and Mary,” she continued.
In Harvey’s ex Vaughn’s case, Berry claimed she attempted to appear as her power of attorney, but was further “threatened.”
Berry is asking protection from courts due to all of the “malicious scare tactics” from Harvey and his “bullies.”
She also is requesting $5 million and an apology.
Harvey has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
