Jul 24, 2008 12:42 pm US/Pacific
Former Stunt Woman Makes A Splash Of A Lawsuit
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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A former stuntwoman for Universal Studios' 'Water World' has settled a lawsuit against her employer.
CBS
A former stuntwoman for Universal Studios' "WaterWorld" attraction has settled a lawsuit she filed against her ex- employer, alleging she was forced to wear a racy uniform that led to an embarrassing wardrobe mishap during a performance.
Cynthia R. Thompson of Canyon Country also alleged she was fired because the company wanted a younger woman. Her court papers did not divulge her age.
According to papers her attorneys filed July 15 seeking dismissal of the
case, the settlement was reached after 10 hours of meetings with a neutral Superior Court case evaluator.
The terms of the resolution were not divulged in court documents, and
the attorneys could not immediately be reached.
According to Thompson's suit, filed last September in Los Angeles
Superior Court, she was a stuntwoman/actress on the "WaterWorld -- A Live Sea Spectacular" attraction and had played the part of Helen since the day it opened in October 1995.
The show, which features stunts and fireworks, is still performed at
Universal Studios.
It was inspired by the Kevin Costner film "Waterworld," which premiered the same year with Jeanne Tripplehorn playing the role of Helen.
Thompson, who performed in up to five shows a day at the Universal
Studios theme park, says female performers were told in May 2006 to wear new uniforms with flesh-colored bottoms that featured a demi-cup bra providing no breast support.
Male stuntmen were not asked to wear revealing costumes, according to her suit.
"(Thompson) was concerned that she would have a costume malfunction and that her breasts would fall out of the bathing suit top," her court papers state.
"She complained that she was wearing something that made her look as if she was naked."
On the first day the female performers wore their new costumes in June
2006, Thompson says her left breast fell out during her performance.
She later changed back into her original uniform that had a sports bra inside, but had to continue wearing the flesh-colored bottoms that made her appear naked as she went across the set on a circus rope.
According to Thompson, guests began to stare up her skirt.
Humiliated, the stuntwoman says she eventually returned to wearing her original blue bottoms.
Thompson continued to complain for months, but was repeatedly told "that is the look" that Universal wants, according to her suit.
In April 2007, while off work because of an off-the-job injury, Thompson
says a manager with GT Ultralights Inc. -- operators of Universal Studios'
stunt shows and a defendant in the lawsuit -- told her that her contract was not being renewed because Universal wanted "a new and different look" and that she was "too old."
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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