Jeff Bezos' house staff claim they had to climb out window to go to the bathroom
Topics: US News, Jeff Bezos, Celebrity
Jess Hardiman
Featured Image Credit: Kristoffer Tripplaar/Erik Pendzich/Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: US News, Jeff Bezos, Celebrity
Jeff Bezos’ is being sued by his former housekeeper, who claims household staff were forced to climb out of the window to go to the bathroom, and were also subjected to racial discrimination.
Mercedes Wedaa, who worked for Bezos in his Seattle mansion for three years, filed a lawsuit in Seattle state court.
In the suit, she alleges that she and other hispanic staff were treated different to white staff, claiming Bezos’ household manager was ‘aggressive and abusive’ towards her while being ‘respectful and polite’ with white groundskeepers.
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Wedaa, who began working for Bezos in 2019, also says she was not allowed to enter the billionaire’s house except when on a ‘cleaning assignment’, meaning she was often forced to climb out of the laundry room window to go to the bathroom.
The lawsuit states: “For about 18 months, in order to use a bathroom, [the] plaintiff and other housekeepers were forced to climb out of the laundry room window to the outside. Then run along the path to the mechanical room, through the mechanical room and downstairs to a bathroom.”
It adds that, because housekeepers ‘had to spend large parts of their day unable to use the toilet’, they regularly developed urinary tract infections.
Along with Bezos, Wedaa is also suing two companies that manage his interests and properties, Zefram and Northwestern, claiming there was no dedicated break room or rest area for the household staff - who allegedly sometimes had to eat in the laundry room.
Harry Korrell, a lawyer for Bezos, said in a statement that the allegations 'lack merit', claiming there were a number of bathrooms available for staff at the mansion.
Korrell also dismissed claims of racial discrimination as 'absurd'.
The statement said: “We have investigated the claims, and they lack merit. Wedaa made over six figures annually and was the lead housekeeper.
“She was responsible for her own break and meal times, and there were several bathrooms and breakrooms available to her and other staff. The evidence will show that Wedaa was terminated for performance reasons.
“She initially demanded over $9m, and when the company refused, she decided to file this suit. Given their backgrounds, the suggestion that Bezos, Sanchez, or Northwestern LLC discriminated against Wedaa based on her race or national origin is absurd.”
UNILAD has reached out to Bezos’ lawyer for further comment.