Valerie Harper is being sued for 2 million dollars because she didn’t tell the producers and playwright of ‘Looped’ about her cancer diagnosis sooner.
Valerie Harper is being sued for 2 million dollars because she didn’t tell the producers and playwright of ‘Looped’ about her cancer diagnosis sooner.
Broadway heavyweight Matthew Lombardo is asserting that Harper and her husband were aware that her lung cancer had returned when the actress signed on.
Once rehearsals began, it became clear that something was wrong.
Harper was said to be slurring her words and forgetting lines. On the insistence of the director, she went to a doctor.
In early 2013 it was discovered that the cancer in her lungs had spread to her brain. She was given about 3 months to live.
At that time, Harper left the production.
According to the lawsuit, her departure caused significant problems for the play as there wasn’t enough time to find a replacement.
Stefanie Powers eventually signed on to play the role, but according to the producers the late switch resulted in a 500 thousand dollar loss.
The suit was filed following one that had been presented by Harper saying she hadn’t been paid as per her contract.
In early April of this year, Harper announced that she’s not cancer free, but is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the future.
