Victoria Principal Holds Help at Gunpoint Over Dog Walking

Who (almost) shot Maribel?

"But Pam, Scruffy really had to go..."

No, this wasn’t a dream. For Maribel Banegas, it sounds like a nightmare. If only she could have gotten a cash advance on her salary and surreptitiously hired a dog-walking service, perhaps she wouldn’t have (allegedly) been threatened at gunpoint by her employer, Victoria Principal.

Yes, that Victoria Principal, the 59-year-old actress and glamour icon. Pam Ewing on “Dallas.” The Victoria Principal who wrote in her book “Living Principal” that she wanted to “share with women that it is possible to recreate yourself. In nine simple, straightforward chapters, you will learn about attitude adjustment, diet, exercise, hair care, and skin care, among other components of overall mind-body health.” Rush for your credit card and adjust your attitude for mind-body health today!

You can’t shower off this kind of embarrassment

Lisa Gutierrez blogs for the Kansas City Star that Principal is being sued by a former maid named Maribel Banegas. Banegas is accusing her former employer of “threatening her with a gun after the woman walked Principal’s pooch one night,” writes Gutierrez. For a look at the lawsuit papers, CLICK HERE.

The complaint that has been filed with Los Angeles Superior Court states that Principal fired Banegas after accusing her of “staying away from the house for too long with the dog.” The maid’s response is that the canine took a long time to “do it’s business.” In a perfectly normal, perfectly healthy moment, Principal went upstairs and came back with a gun in her hand (per the lawsuit) instead of a check to pay Banegas for her services. It is alleged that Principal aimed the weapon at Banegas and threatened to kill her. Furthermore, it is alleged that Principal went so far as to ask another housekeeper to step away so that she could shoot Banegas.

Does this job include hazard pay?

It was a fight or flight moment and the adrenaline was pumping. Ms. Banegas had to act quickly, so she dove into another room and locked the door. From there, she was able to punch the numbers on a telephone and speak with the 911 operator between Principal’s screams for her to open the door. The lawsuit says that Principal stood just outside the door, threatening to kill Banegas until authorities arrived at her home to rescue the maid.

As you can see in the lawsuit, Banegas is alleging assault, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The former maid is also suing for lost wages and unspecified damages. Banegas has claimed “malice” and “oppression” in asking for exemplary damages from Principal, whom she alleges has showed a “willful and conscious disregard” for her rights and safety in the workplace.

Principal’s dog could not be reached for comment, but if he or she could, I’m sure he’d agree that Victoria Principal is a bad boss…

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