What is Nobu Malibu’s lawsuit about? Charges explored as celebrity hotspot once again faces s*xual harassment claims

The popular Hollywood celebrity hotspot Nobu Malibu is being sued for s*xual harassment by a female employee. This marks the third lawsuit against the restaurant since 2019, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Trigger warning: This article mentions workplace s*xual harassment claims. Discretion is advised.

A hostess, who is being referred to as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit for $500,000 against the restaurant on September 13, 2023. She alleged that the restaurant forced female employees to endure "unwanted s*xual advances from managers and patrons."

The restaurant was founded by celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro, and producer Meir Teper in 1994, as per The Sun. Ever since it was founded, Nobu Malibu has expanded its business to 56 locations across the world, establishing a hotel chain that celebs love. It is frequented by many A-list celebrities like Justin Bieber, the Kardashians & Jenners, Drake, and many more.

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Hostess files lawsuit for $500,000 against Nobu Malibu

As mentioned earlier, Nobu has been facing three lawsuits of s*xual harassment since 2019. All three of them have mentions of gr*ping and s*xual advances from the supervisors without any action from the management. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this was because the management wanted to avoid any retaliation from the higher-ups.

The latest lawsuit filed by Jane Doe in Los Angeles County Superior Court has allegations of s*xual assault and battery, gender discrimination, and negligent hiring. There are other allegations of misconduct under the California State Law in the lawsuit.

Jane Doe is a 23-year-old aspiring actress who wanted to work at Nobu Malibu as some of her favorite celebrities frequented it. These include names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, and Selena Gomez.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff explained how the female hostesses and servers were forced to wear "skimpy clothes" and were asked to flirt with the patrons. According to the LA Times, this led to the employees being subjected to s*xual advances from customers and managers. The publication also noted that the restaurant doesn't comply with its written policies to protect its employees.

In addition to Nobu Malibu, Jane Doe also claimed that a particular bar manager was handsy with the employees. According to the New York Post, the lawsuit stated that he would approach the hostess stand and walk right behind the hostesses. Following this he would "light f*ndle their b*ttocks" before they could avoid his advances.

The plaintiff's statement mentioned a separate incident where the bar manager, whose name was Marcus, according to The LA Times harassed her. She said that he restrained her hands and k*ssed her neck after he had a few drinks.

He would also steal female staffers' numbers from the employee directory to ask them out on a date or for s*xual favors.

The former manager was fired last year however he was allowed to return as a customer. He allegedly kept harassing victims who had complained about him to the higher-ups. The hostesses would "work in fear" of him appearing at Nobu Malibu, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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Additional harassment claims and Jane Doe's lawyer's statement

According to The Sun, the lawsuit stated that the harassment was "nonconsensual, and was based on the Plaintiff’s gender." This was because the male employees have allegedly not experienced any such issues working at Nobu Malibu.

The plaintiff's lawyer, Bernard Alexander gave a statement and called the harassment a "frustrating irony."

"It’s a frustrating irony that Nobu caters to a Hollywood client list that routinely rallies against and cancels contemporaries who exhibit the same kind of misogynistic and exploitative behavior that Nobu’s managers seem to encourage," Alexander said.

The lawsuit also noted incidences where the Nobu Malibu's managers "granted favorable treatment to the women who provide them with s*xual favors." The treatment didn't just happen during work hours but even before and after those.

Jane Doe also accused the restaurant of making her and other female employees “endure outright s*xual advances and abuse for the sake of maintaining Nobu’s glamourous reputation and keeping their jobs."

The famous founders of the restaurant Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro, and Meir Teper have not released any official statements about the matter.