Actor Lowe sues household staff

Actor Rob Lowe on Monday sued three former household employees -- two nannies and a chef -- accusing them of violating confidentiality agreements by disclosing personal information about the actor and his wife to unspecified third parties, according to Lowe’s attorney.

The attorney, Stanton Stein, said two complaints were filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court against Jessica Gibson, whom he described as the Lowe’s nanny of seven years, and the Lowes’ former chef.

Stein claimed that Gibson had recently demanded $1.5 million from the Lowes and threatened to sue them for sexual harassment if they failed to pay.

A third lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court accused Laura Boyce -- the Lowes’ nanny for the last year -- of making defamatory remarks.

Gibson, the only former employee who could be reached for comment, declined to discuss the filings.

On the Huffington Post website Monday, Lowe wrote that a seven-year employee, whom he did not name, “is demanding my wife Sheryl and I pay her $1.5 million by the end of the week or she will accuse us both of a vicious laundry list of false terribles. It is an attempt to damage and humiliate not only my wife and me, but our two young sons as well. My family is devastated at this betrayal . . . “

-- Ted Rohrlich