Lawsuit Alleges Actress Sharon Stone Banned Nanny From Reading the Bible

Hollywood isn't known for having an overtly Christian culture. In fact, many of the values associated with the celebrity lifestyle are, well, less than Biblical. But even with this in mind, new allegations coming from actress Sharon Stone's former nanny are surprising. In a lawsuit filed by Erlinda Elemen, the one-time nanny to Stone's children says that the Hollywood icon mocked both her Filipino heritage and her Christian beliefs.

The complaint was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, according to The Christian Post. In addition to these purported offenses, the "Basic Instinct" actress is also accused in the lawsuit of wrongfully terminating Elemen's contract to work with the family following an alleged dispute over overtime pay.

The Post has more, providing details surrounding the timeline that led to this intriguing case:

The lawsuit says Elemen was promoted from assistant nanny to head nanny for Stone in September of 2008. Her new position required her to live at Stone's home so she could care for the actress's three children. She was also required to travel with the children for long periods of time when necessary.

In August 2010, Stone allegedly began making derogatory comments about Elemen's Filipino heritage, including comments that "equated being Filipino with being stupid," the lawsuit states. It also claims Stone told Elemen not to speak to her children, because she didn't want them to learn to talk like Elemen.

The actress also allegedly attacked Elemen's Christian beliefs. The suit says she criticized the nanny for regularly attending church and, on one occasion, told her she wasn't allowed to read the Bible even in her own room.

The overtime dispute didn't develop until early 2011, when Stone reportedly learned about the fact that Elemen was receiving overtime pay on holidays and during travel time she spent with the children. The former nanny claims that Stone accused her of "stealing" and said that she shouldn't have accepted the extra income. Then, she purportedly asked for the money back. Weeks later, after allegedly embarrassing Elemen in front of the staff, Stone fired her.

"A common problem for employees in household occupations concerns the receipt of overtime and other wages. When a celebrity does it, it only serves to draw attention to the fact that there are thousands of people who are being underpaid," explained Solomon Gresen, the lawyer representing Elemen. "Hopefully, the publicity generated from this lawsuit will be of benefit to others and will prompt some change in the lives of ordinary citizens."

A spokesperson for the actress, though, is being publicly dismissive of the case, calling it "frivolous" and claiming that the former nanny is merely looking for a way to make a quick buck.

"This is an absurd lawsuit that has been filed by a disgruntled ex-employee who is obviously looking to get money any way she can," said Paul Bloch, a rep for Stone. "After she was terminated approximately 1½ years ago, she filed claims for alleged disability and worker's compensation. Now, she is obviously looking for another opportunity to cash in."

In her lawsuit, Elemen claims she has medical expenses, among others, as a result of "physical and mental anguish." The former nanny also claims "emotional distress" in the filing and seems to allege that these issues will be remaining with her for quite some time.

As E! notes, Stone, who is 54, has three adopted sons -- 12-year-old Roan, 7-year-old Laird and 5-year-old Quinn.

(H/T: Christian Post)