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Mariah Carey is no stranger to being a diva, however a former employer of the “Always Be My Baby” singer says the artist’s antics are downright disrespectful. In addition, to requesting numerous humidifiers to preserve her voice and being unable to recall exactly who J. Lo is, Carey’s former personal assistant, Lianna Shakhnazaryan (also known as Lianna Azarian), claims the singer along with other staff subjected her to sexual battery and harassment during her approximately two years of employment. Shakhnazaryan then says she was wrongfully terminated in 2017 after complaining about how she was being treated.
Rolling Stone reports in a lawsuit filed on Los Angeles Superior Court on January 16th Shakhnazaryan claims she was hired by Carey in September 2015 at a rate of $250K a year (that gradually increased to $328,500). She says the position required her to be on call every day for 24 hours a day to not only assist Carey, but also Carey’s former manager, Stella Bulochnikov. The former assistant claims she was verbally abused and sexually harassed by the pair who repeatedly ridiculing her about her breasts by putting iPhones, remote controls and utensils under them.” She also says Bulochnikov routinely slapped her breasts and buttocks and called her an “Armenian whore” an “Armenian Bitch” and a “ni**er.” She also says the manager repeatedly wrestled with her, tackling her to the ground and then urinating on her. Shakhnazaryan alleges that Carey was present for many of these altercations but did nothing to stop them. She says when she complained about the managers’ conduct in 2017, her employment was unfairly terminated. She’s suing for sexual battery, discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination.
But Carey shares that the former assistant was actually terminated for not showing up for work and upon her termination, threatened to extort the 5-time Grammy winner for over $8 million. Carey also claims her former employee threatened to release personal videos she had recorded of the star engaged in embarrassing behavior which is in direct violation of a non-disclosure agreement she signed. Lastly, the singer alleges Shakhnazaryan used a employer-issued credit card for personal shopping including “a closet full of expensive clothing and handbags that belong to or were paid for by” Carey. In her suit Carey wants to become the legal owner of the purchased goods as well as asking the court to issue an order demanding the compromising footage be destroyed.
In a statement to Buzzfeed, Shakhnazaryan’s attorney, Mark T. Quigley, says Carey’s accusations exist merely to deflect from the abusive situation she allowed her former assistant to be in:
“My client never did anything she wasn’t specifically asked to do while working in the course and scope of her job as a personal assistant.”
“[Shakhnazaryan’s] lawsuit is about holding her employer accountable for severely inappropriate behavior that caused tremendous stress and emotional turmoil.”
Representatives for Carey made a statement to PEOPLE saying Madame Butterfly is too booked and busy to be concerned with the nonsense:
“This new year welcomes Mariah’s continued efforts to clean the trash from her life. Given that the evidence against [Shakhnazaryan] is vast and deplorable, we anticipate a victorious resolution. Mariah continues her streak of success this year with an upcoming North American tour and return to Vegas.”
Bulochnikov’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment on the allegations.
