Justin Timberlake Once Named As Defendant In Sexual Harassment Suit

Justin Timberlake was once named as a defendant in a sexual harassment suit that also targeted two other partners of his New York City restaurant.

According to Radar Online, the suit was filed in May of 2009 by Alison McDaniel, a former manager at Timberlake’s Southern Hospitality restaurant, and also named Eytan Sugarman and Ronnie Kaplan as defendants.

“One or more of Southern Hospitality’s owners and/or executive managers bullied, degraded, harassed and ultimately discharged McDaniel from her employment because of her gender,” Radar reports the suit alleged.

McDaniel specifically charged that Timberlake “engaged in, acquiesced in or aided, abetted, tolerated and/or encouraged the unlawful conduct described in this complaint.”

Back then, Timberlake’s rep released a statement claiming that he had no “knowledge of or involvement in the operations of the restaurant.”

The case was settled in early of June of 2014, and the confidential settlement was sealed by the court.

The 36-year-old “Suit & Tie” singer was front and center at the recent Golden Globes Awards in expressing his support for the Times Up campaign created to protest women’s harassment in Hollywood. As part of that, he donned the same black attire as other protesters.

Still, some viewers were quick to call out the “Filthy” singer on social media, essentially accusing him of being a hypocrite.

“Reminder that you’re one of the many men who is talked about. Time’s up Justin,” one critic wrote on Twitter, while another tweeted, “Time’s up for JT, too. I’m kinda over him.”

Timberlake has also faced staunch criticism for recently working with filmmaker Woody Allen, who too has faced allegations of sexual abuse.

In her suit, McDaniel alleged that she became the target of “vile discriminatory conduct” once she became general manager.

She added Sugarman once asserted “women do not make good leaders” and that the defendants “engaged in and allowed others to engage in the viewing of Internet pornography on the restaurant’s premises.”

She also accused Kaplan of verbally assaulting her, physically bumping into her and spitting in her face, adding that the tone he took with her was often offensive and demeaning to women in general.