Noa says he was promised
a six-figure salary and
other benefits, but
Lopez suddenly reneged
on the offer and hired
someone else, leaving
Noa to return to his
native Miami with no job
and no prospects. The
suit says Noa was dumped
because Lopez's then-fiance,
Cris Judd, objected to
his hiring.
Lopez ended up firing
Noa's replacement on the
eve of the restaurant's
public opening in April
2002 and turned again to
her ex-spouse for help.
He accepted her offer to
return and worked around
the clock for nearly six
months to get Madre's
off the ground, only to
be abruptly fired again
"for no legitimate
reason", the suit says.
Noa claims he was given
no explanation for his
termination. "Ms Lopez
simply decided that she
had extracted from him
all that she needed, and
it was time to throw Mr
Noa out," the lawsuit
said.
The suit seeks
unspecified damages
against Lopez, 35, her
father and business
partner, David Lopez,
and the company they
formed to run the
Pasadena eatery. There
was no immediate comment
from Lopez or the
restaurant.
