The complaint, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, reads like a soap opera: "This action arises from the tragic tale of a greedy stage mother posing as a talent manager who, instead of acting in the best interest of her daughter/client, schemed to defraud her unsuspecting victim." She alleges her mother induced her to buy a Beverly Hills home for $7.8 million in 2006 and "represented to Barton that the lavish home would be a vehicle for which Barton could invest her growing income for acting services," but she structured the purchase to assign herself half-ownership of the property.
– It sounds like something that might have happened on The OC: Mischa Barton is suing her mother, claiming the greedy "momager" withheld the actress's earnings, among other things. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Barton, 29, says mom Nuala Barton "had absolutely no experience or training" and simply "[posed] as a talent manager" in order to exploit and defraud her daughter. The lawsuit accuses Nuala of controlling Barton's earnings while only giving Barton an occasional "allowance," and even of lying about her earnings for one movie "so that she could pocket the difference—on top of her hefty management fee—all without Barton's knowledge." According to the Los Angeles Times, Barton's suit says she entered into a verbal contract with her mom when she was 8; her mom was to get 10% of her gross earnings. In 2006, when Barton was 20, she claims her mother convinced her to buy a $7.8 million home in Beverly Hills as an investment vehicle ... but that Nuala and Barton's dad now live in the home, where Barton is "not welcome." There are myriad additional accusations surrounding forged signatures, a handbag line, a fashion boutique, and endorsement contracts, along with allegations of "bullying and verbal abuse." As TMZ notes, the lawsuit gets decidedly personal: Barton says neither of her parents have had a job other than managing her for more than 10 years, and they both "sit back expecting their daughter's hard work and dedication to her craft to support their lifestyle." Nuala is, as you might expect, no longer Barton's talent manager. (Click to read about 10 more momagers and dadagers.)