Howard Stern’s former assistant is suing the famed radio personality and his wife, accusing them of subjecting her to a hostile work environment while she was employed at their 20,000-square-foot Hamptons estate, according to court documents reviewed by Howard Stern. independent.
In the state lawsuit filed Sunday, Leslie Kuhn, who started working for Stern in 2022 as an office manager at SiriusXM, said she was named Stern’s administrative assistant the following year and transferred to Southampton, N.Y., in 2024 at the request of the Sterns to provide “assistance in managing the mansion’s staff, developing staffing schedules, completing employee payroll and managing general household matters, including Beth Stern’s. ‘s extensive family feline rescue and fostering operations.”
Beth Stern is a Longtime animal activist who rescues and adopts abandoned dogs and catsand is a national spokesperson and board member of the North Shore Animal League of America.
Kuhn’s complaint said she received a raise from $100,000 to $265,000 in December 2025, plus an $80,000 bonus, but was fired in February 2026 for “alleged misconduct.” While the complaint does not provide details of the alleged misconduct, it says Kuhn “denies in whole and in part the reasoning provided to her,” saying it was “fabricated by the defendants generally and Beth Stern in particular.”
“Instead, Kuhn contends that the reasons for her termination included a hostile work environment and the promotion of such a hostile work environment, irresponsible and indefensible animal rescue and on-site foster care operations that placed significant stress on families, and massively chaotic and questionable business operations and accounting practices,” the complaint states.
A former executive assistant to Howard Stern says she was silenced over a nondisclosure agreement she allegedly never signed (Getty Images)
However, Kuhn claimed that the allegations against her were so damaging to her reputation that they would have a “chilling effect on her.” [her] future employment prospects. “
Meanwhile, Coon also accused Stern’s production company of forging her signature on two non-disclosure agreements, which she denies ever agreeing to, and asked a judge to declare them invalid because they prohibited her from telling anyone, including future employers, her version of events while allowing Howard and Beth to “talk freely about Coon with impunity.”
“Kun therefore fully intended to disclose information about her influence over Stern, Beth Stern, Sirius and [Stern’s production company]”, the complaint states, “and terminate her employment when necessary to resolve the allegations against her and protect her reputation and future employment prospects. “
John Leonard, an attorney representing Kuhn, said independent He simply asked the court to weigh the validity and enforceability of two confidentiality agreements that Kuhn said she never signed.
“It’s easy to see that they’re one-sided; they’re not reciprocal, so one side has the right to speak out and the other side is being silenced,” Leonard said.
Howard Stern and his wife, Beth, a passionate animal advocate. The couple is being sued by a former administrative assistant, saying they created a hostile work environment (Getty Images)
In addition to prohibiting Kuhn from discussing details of her employment with Stern, the allegedly forged confidentiality agreement prohibited her from discussing “family members or friends, daily activities and personal habits (e.g., food preferences, sleeping habits, hobbies), use of consumer products, selection of restaurants, hotels or other venues, entertainment preferences, location or contents of residences and other properties, travel arrangements, location or manner, political affiliations” and “any other information” about the couple. Other Matters Relating to Stern’s Business”.
The contractual relationship would put Kuhn at an unfair disadvantage “personally, professionally and publicly.” The complaint describes Kuhn as “a purely at-will employee with significantly less influence and resources than the Stern family and its affiliated entities and partners.”
Leonard said NDAs were used to silence people like Kuhn who were “at a significant disadvantage in terms of influence and resources,” noting that his client never wanted things to come to this.
“The decision to seek declaratory relief from the courts was not made lightly,” Leonard said. independent. “However, my client is a very strong woman and she just wants the court to tell her what her rights are so she can move forward legally. It’s a very traumatic situation not knowing whether she will be able to defend herself against someone else’s accusations. But I have to say, she’s handling it well, she’s very strong and she’s looking forward to her day in court.”
independent Representatives for Stern have been contacted for comment.
Kuhn is now seeking a declaration invalidating the confidentiality agreement, as well as attorney fees and court costs.