An ex-musician for The Monkees and two famed members of the 1960s band settled a lawsuit in which she alleged she was fired during a brief phone call after playing with the band for nearly 20 years and later was told it was because of her overweight, lack-of-makeup appearance on stage, her attorney said Thursday.
Lisa Maki, an attorney for plaintiff Aviva Maloney, said the lawsuit was resolved “to the satisfaction of the parties.”
Maloney sued Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork, two founding members of The Monkees. The complaint’s allegations included discrimination, harassment, retaliation, failure to accommodate disability and wrongful termination.
Maloney, 59, plays saxophone, clarinet, keyboards and other instruments and says she was the first female member of the band when she joined the other members on their 30th Anniversary Tour in 1996.
Shortly after she was fired in May 2015 during a four-minute call from band musical director Wayne Avers, Tork told Maloney’s husband that she should join Overeaters Anonymous because she was eating to resolve emotional problems and didn’t look good onstage, the suit stated. The complaint also alleged Tork complained that Maloney went without makeup during performances and fell asleep during a band practice session.
The suit stated that Maloney was diagnosed with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis in 2003 and that the defendants were aware of her health problems.
“In sum, Peter Tork admitted that plaintiff’s real disabilities … played a substantial role in the plaintiff’s termination,” the suit states.