Actor Drew Carey sued his former lawyer Dennis Ardi for purportedly involving “The Drew Carey Show” star in a scheme to defraud Ardi’s wife during their bitter divorce, court documents showed Wednesday.
Carey’s lawsuit demanded $4 million in damages from Ardi, whom he accused of lying in a sworn statement submitted in the divorce about whether he would demand a vested interest, known as a “lock-in agreement,” in Carey’s earnings from the show.
The show debuted on ABC-TV in 1995 and ended production last year, although previously taped episodes are still airing.
During the divorce proceedings, Ardi asked Carey to sign a statement swearing that he and Ardi did not have a “lock-in” agreement, and that his payments of 5 percent of his earnings to Ardi would stop if he was fired, the lawsuit said.
After the divorce was completed in June of 2002, Ardi demanded a “lock-in” clause from Carey despite the comedian’s earlier sworn statement, the lawsuit said.
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, filed Tuesday, also accused Ardi of malpractice for allowing a former law school friend to overcharge Carey for handling a construction defect lawsuit while working for free on Ardi’s divorce.
Ardi could not immediately be reached for comment.