“Blue Bloods” costumer Trenena “Trina” Patterson is accusing the present’s prime costume designer, Michael Woll, of race discrimination and illegal termination in an explosive lawsuit she filed in opposition to him and ViacomCBS in March.
The swimsuit claims Woll requested a co-worker, “Why would you rent that little black woman? She seems to be like a scorching ghetto mess” when Patterson was first employed.
Later, “he was promoted from supervisor to costume designer. He would yell and curse at me so dangerous that I used to be typically decreased to tears,” she advised Web page Six.
She mentioned he went ballistic after she escorted an actress to the wardrobe truck with out his permission. “We had been on Fifth Avenue and he yelled at me in entrance of everybody. He shouted, ‘You’re f–king incompetent. Shut the f–okay up. You’re f–king lazy.’ I teared up and he stored going,” she mentioned.
Woll referred to as her “racially motivated epithets resembling: fool, lazy and incompetent on a weekly foundation,” in line with the swimsuit.
Patterson, who’s African-American, says Woll additionally criticized her for sporting her hair in braids and scarves round her head. “He would name [the wraps] do-rags. He’d ask in regards to the texture of my hair. As soon as after I wore it straight, he mentioned, ‘She’s being a slut in the present day.’ He’d additionally communicate to me in stereotypical black voices and ask issues like, ‘Do your youngsters have the identical father?’ ” she recalled.
“It’s disrespectful. It’s like, ‘I can’t name her [the N-word] as a result of it’s a direct slur, however I could make jokes about hair, weight, baby-daddies and do-rags.’ I complained to my direct supervisor on the time, however [Woll] was her boss. She felt very uncomfortable.”
Patterson lastly stopped partaking with him and believes it price her her job. “I didn’t wish to be the joke anymore. Small discuss left me open to his racial and sexist jokes.” Patterson’s swimsuit alleges that after she complained, her hours had been lower and he or she was then fired.
Reps for CBS and Woll didn’t remark.