The Simpsons creator Matt Groening sued by ex-employee who says he and wife ‘failed’ to prevent sexual harassment
Matt Groening has been named in a lawsuit filed by a former employee.
Giavanna Scotto has sued the Simpsons creator, 70, and his wife Agustina Picasso for multiple charges, including failure to prevent sexual harassment and failure to prevent sexual assault and battery, according to TMZ.
She worked as Groening’s property manager at his Santa Monica estate, where she says she complained about harassment from a fellow employee.
The lawsuit says Groening and Picasso, 47, ‘failed to act’ when a fellow employee was sexually assaulting Scotto.
Scotto accused the colleague of grabbing her breasts and butt, as well as kissing her on the mouth multiple times, without her consent.
Giavanna Scotto has sued The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and his wife Agustina Picasso for multiple charges, including failure to prevent sexual harassment and failure to prevent sexual assault and battery
Based on animated shorts he made for The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987, Groening created The Simpsons for Fox in 1989
The plaintiff said she received inappropriate text messages from the co-worker that said things like ‘hello sweetheart’ and ‘miss you.’
‘I miss you so much I love you I hope you are well I love you I love you,’ she claimed he wrote her, as well as: ‘I love you how is our son.’
She said she ‘felt stalked’ as he continued to harass her via text, unfazed by her lack of response.
Scotto claims the couple ‘failed to take appropriate corrective actions’ after she told Picasso, who ‘clearly knew of the harassment and failed to act.’
In the lawsuit, she said that the couple failing to take action resulted in her harasser continuing his behavior even after her employment.
Scotto also accused the couple of firing her in June 2022 without warning or cause.
Groening married Picasso in 2011, becoming stepfather to her daughter Camila Constantini.
They also share son Nathaniel Philip, 11, twins Luna Margaret and India Mia, 9, as well as 6-year-old twins Sol Matthew and Venus Ruth, daughter Nirvana, 4, and 2-year-old son Satori.
Additionally, the Emmy Award winner shares sons Homer and Abe with ex-wife Deborah Caplan, to whom he was married from 1986 to 1999.
The lawsuit says Groening and Picasso, 47, ‘failed to act’ when a fellow employee was sexually assaulting Scotto, who worked as their property manager
Scotto claims the couple ‘failed to take appropriate corrective actions’ after she told Picasso, who ‘clearly knew of the harassment and failed to act’
Scotto also accused the couple of firing her in June 2022 without warning or cause
Based on animated shorts he made for The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987, Groening created The Simpsons for Fox in 1989.
Season 36 of the animated series premieres in September.
After patriarch Homer quipped in November that he doesn’t choke his son Bart anymore, despite the long-running bit, Groening shared a response.
‘Homer Simpson was unavailable for comment as he was busy strangling Bart,’ he said with an illustration of the father choking his son.
Groening has won 11 Emmy Awards for The Simpsons, as well as two for his show Futurama.