Another Nobu Malibu hostess files lawsuit, alleges sexual harassment
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 29: An exterior view of Nobu on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on August 29, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by FG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Another Nobu Malibu hostess has sued the celebrity eatery, alleging sexual harassment by managers and customers alike.
The latest suit was filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court by a woman identified only as Jayne Doe II, alleging sexual assault and battery, gender discrimination, harassment, retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination and harassment and negligent hiring and supervision.
The plaintiff seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in the suit brought Monday. On Sept. 13, a 23-year-old hostess sued the same restaurant, alleging she and her female colleagues were routinely subjected to sexual assault by customers and managers.
A Nobu representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the latest suit.
Nobu is a "prominent dining establishment nestled along the coast of Malibu, personifying the grandeur and pitfalls of Hollywood life," according to the new suit, which cites the restaurant's "beautiful beach front location and ocean view."
The new complaint notes that Nobu's clientele includes the Kardashians, Beyonce and Justin Bieber.
Jayne Doe II "treasures her employment at Nobu, not only for her steady salary, but also for the reputation that comes with an otherwise desirable job that affords plaintiff work flexibility," the new complaint states.
However, Nobu requires its young hostesses to greet guests in scantily clad black uniforms while not protecting them from "overt sexual harassment" from both patrons and supervisors, the suit states.
A general view of the atmosphere at Surface Magazine Presents The 2017 Travel Issue: Celebratory Dinner with Nobu Matsuhisa at Nobu Malibu on October 26, 2017 in Malibu, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for Surface Media)
Jayne Doe II also is suing a former bar manager identified only as Marcus. She says that in December 2021, Marcus walked up behind the plaintiff, rubbed himself against her, then pulled her hair and whispered, "I heard you like your hair pulled," the new suit states.
A shocked Doe II stepped away and stated to Marcus, "You heard wrong," the new suit states.
Marcus was fired in early 2022, but for months was welcomed back to Nobu as a "quasi-patron," according to the new suit, which also alleges that the plaintiff was given less desirable shifts when she complained about his alleged behavior.
"Plaintiff and a number of hostesses, some of whom had complained and prompted his termination, worked in fear of being forced to encounter Marcus during or after the end of their shift," according to the suit, which further states that a colleague of Doe II had an emotional breakdown in September 2022 upon seeing Marcus.
Doe continues to suffer mental distress, anguish, indignation and embarrassment and also has experienced a loss of earnings, her suit states.
The Nobu restaurants were founded by chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro and producer Meir Teper.