Jessica Biel and her business partners at the Los Angeles restaurant Au Fudge have been accused of stealing over $400,000 from employees.
In court documents obtained the The Blast, nine former employees say that the majority of the restaurant's business comes via private buyouts and events and they say the restaurant routinely charges a 22 percent gratuity.
The complainants say that none of that money went to them, even though they were doing the work, claiming instead that it was lining the pockets of the owners, including the actress.
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In a deposition filed by former Director of Events at Au Fudge Alexandra Desage, she says "every private event customer" assumed that the gratuity was going to the employees but alleged that it never did. She claims that she asked co-owner Jon Rollo about the financial dispute, telling him that it was "against the law for Au Fudge's customers to pay a gratuity and then have the restaurant fail to transfer the gratuity to employees who had direct contact with the customers."
He responded by telling her not to worry about it, she alleges in documents.
Another employee filed a similar declaration after she, too, questioned management and was given a similar response.
The Blast reported that the restaurant believes this is merely a dispute with a former manager and former employees. The employees believe they had $430,100 in gratuities from the events taken from them. The employees are also seeking an additional $1,000,000 in punitive damages, the report says.
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Jessica is one of six defendants named in the court documents.
The actress' rep did not return phones to The Blast.
