Halsey Settles 2-Year-Long 'Discrimination' Lawsuit With Former Nanny
By Afouda Bamidele on October 1, 2024 at 2:00 PM EDT
Halsey is finally free from their legal drama with a former nanny as they reach an undisclosed settlement.
The singer-songwriter, who uses she/they pronouns, was sued by their ex-employee in 2022 for discrimination and wrongful termination. The latter claimed the "Without Me" hitmaker had broken labor codes by mistreating them.
Halsey and their former nanny butted heads in court for two years, pinning the blame on each other. The drama stemmed from the latter's care for the singer's son with their ex-partner, Alev Aydin.
Halsey And Former Nanny Reach An Agreement Before Trial
According to new reports, Halsey's former employee, Ashley Funches, told the court that she and the singer had settled on September 26. It arrived over a month before their scheduled trial on November 12.
The details of their settlement weren't disclosed, but the terms must have benefitted both parties after their 2-year war. Earlier this year, Halsey and the former nanny seemed ready to continue butting heads in court.
The pair had been at odds over Funches' deposition. Halsey petitioned the court to order their ex-nanny to attend a second day of grilling after the latter allegedly refused to cooperate, per In Touch.
The Court Ordered The Former Nanny To Attend The Deposition
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In their argument, Halsey's lawyer claimed they had made "good faith efforts to coordinate [Ashley's] deposition for months, and it is still not complete."
"Defense counsel has tried on countless occasions to secure and confirm the deposition of [Ashley] but has been met with silence or empty promises," the legal rep alleged.
The Judge ruled in Halsey's favor and ordered the former nanny to attend a second day of deposition. The move was part of the singer's way of proving their innocence in the discrimination lawsuit.
Halsey Accused Her Ex-Employee Of Endangering Her Son
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Following Funches' allegations, Halsey fired back with claims of the former nanny's inappropriate behavior. At the time, her rep claimed:
"These allegations are baseless. This individual's employment was recently terminated in response to specific incidents in which Halsey's infant was left unsupervised in an unsafe location while under the nanny's care."
"It was discovered the nanny was intoxicated while the child was in her care. Furthermore, at no time during this individual's term of employment with Halsey were any complaints even raised," the rep continued, adding:
"Consequently, while Halsey is both saddened and disappointed by this turn of events, they feel it is important to refute these allegations publicly, as they take ableism and ethical working conditions very seriously."
Inside The Discrimination Allegations
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The Blast reported that Funches sued Halsey in June 2022 for disability discrimination and retaliation. The former nanny alleged that she "worked around the clock" on consecutive days with "little to no day of rest" and no overtime wages.
Although she received an extra $5000 following her complaints for no overtime pay, Funches stressed that she was never given an explanation for the lump sum or what it entailed. However, the real problem occurred on March 16, 2022.
The former employee noted she texted Halsey about taking a leave of absence from work to "undergo a medical procedure." Funches claimed she never received a response to her message and was terminated a few days later.
Funches argued that she was wrongfully terminated in retaliation for complaining about the overtime wages. She also claimed Halsey's actions were a "violation of law" based on her disability and inability to work.
Halsey Filed For Full Physical Custody Of Their Son With Alev Aydin
The drama between Halsey and their former nanny stemmed from her care of the singer's son with Alev Aydin. The former couple welcomed Ender Ridley Aydin on July 14, 2021, but their love ended in 2023.
According to legal documents obtained by The Blast, Halsey filed for full physical custody of their son and offered Aydin visitation. However, they were willing to co-parent by sharing legal custody with their ex.
As for their breakup, sources claimed the former couple split on amicable terms and were focused on raising their son together. Halsey and Aydin met while working on a documentary; however, the project stalled due to their romance.
Halsey confirmed their love got in the way, saying, "[Because] Alev was supposed to be writing it the past 3 years, and we slowly fell in love instead. You know the rest!"
Halsey has since found love again with her fiancé, Avan Jogia.