Sarah Hyland fired back at her ex-manager’s lawsuit demanding she cough up alleged unpaid Modern Family commissions, In Touch can exclusively report.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, the actress asked the court to put Richard Konigsberg’s suit on pause until the case she filed against him with the Labor Commission is heard.
Back in September, Sarah’s former manager, Richard Konigsberg, sued the actress over alleged unpaid commissions owed from Modern Family.
In his lawsuit, Richard said he worked as Sarah’s manager for 15 years and was around before she secured her role on the iconic ABC sitcom. Sarah starred as Haley Dunphy on Modern Family, which ran from 2009 to 2020. In the suit, Richard said he was owed 10 percent of Sarah’s income.
He claimed she abruptly fired him earlier this year and stopped paying him commissions, including a cut of her Modern Family royalties.
His lawsuit read, “[Richard] capably and faithfully guided [Sarah] in her career and private life for a decade-and-a-half, only to then be unceremoniously dismissed by [Sarah] in April 2024 — in an apparent attempt by [Sarah] to avoid fulfilling her obligation to pay [Richard] a 10% commission on very substantial monies [Sarah] is expected to shortly receive on a project sourced during her relationship with [Richard].”
Richard said Sarah told him she would no longer be paying him future commissions except for commissions on a recently booked off-Broadway production.
The two were unable to reach a deal, which led to Richard filing suit. He accused Sarah of breach of contract and demanded all unpaid commissions.
In her new motion, Sarah claimed Richard, at times, acted as a talent agent for her despite not being licensed to be a talent agent.
She filed a petition with the California Labor Commissioner asking the commissioner to determine the alleged agreement between the parties is unenforceable.
In her filing, Sarah said that, “a controversy has arisen between [Sarah] and [Richard], and [Sarah] seeks a determination and declaration by the Labor Commissioner that the alleged agreement between [Sarah] and [Richard] is permeated with illegality.”
She claimed Richard had “in fact, solicited and procured and/or attempted to solicit and procure work for [her] as an artist in violation of the talent agencies act.”
She said that “for several years, and within the past 12 months, [Richard] collected illegal commissions from [her].” She asked the court to rule the agreement is void and that Richard pay back a portion of the commissions he was paid.
The court has yet to rule on Sarah’s motion to put Richard’s case on pause.
In her official answer to the lawsuit, Sarah argued that, “[Richard’s] claims are barred, in whole or in part, because the purported agreement was made for an illegal purpose, namely, for [Richard] to act illegally as unlicensed talent agents in violation of California Labor Code.”
Further, Sarah’s lawyer said, “The damages suffered by [Richard], if any, were directly and proximately caused by the acts, omissions, carelessness, or negligence of [Richard]. [Richard’s] recovery, if any, should be diminished to the extent that his alleged damages are attributable to his own acts, omissions, carelessness, or negligence.”
