Mischa Barton has filed a lawsuit against her mother, Nuala Barton, claiming her mother exploited her as her manager.

Mischa Barton Accuses Her Mother Of Stealing From Her

Barton, who reached fame as the star of the teen drama, The OC, filed the suit on Tuesday in the Los Angeles Supreme Court. The suit outlines a number of grievances, including allegations that Barton’s mother lied to the actress about her salary on the horror film The Hoarder so she could pocket the extra money as well as her 10% manager fee.

“This action arises from the tragic tale of a greedy stage mother posing as a talent manager who, instead of acting in the best interest of her daughter/client, schemed to defraud her unsuspecting victim,” reads the complaint.

Barton has accused her mother of breach of fiduciary duty, breach of oral contract and conversion as well as manipulating her to benefit financially. For example, Barton claims that her mother manipulated her into buying a $7.8 million home in Beverly Hills, but managed the contract so that she herself would own half the home. “Nuala and Barton’s father currently reside comfortably in the $7.8 million home. Barton is not welcome at the property,” the suit states.

Furthermore, Barton claimed her mother used her name and likeness to launch a handbag line and a fashion boutique in London, all without her consent and without any payment. “From the outset, Nuala positioned herself to siphon her daughter’s hard-earned money by purportedly acting as her talent manager – a role for which Nuala had absolutely no experience or training,” Barton alleged.

Barton, who has appeared in a string of unsuccessful films since leaving The OC in 2007, claimed that her mother has “refused to provide Barton with any of the funds she earned (and continues to earn in the form of residual payments) for her acting, modeling and endorsement services.”

Finally, the suit states that Barton suffered “bullying and verbal abuse” at the hands of her mother, which has destroyed their relationship, and claims that neither of her parents have been employed in over 10 years. According to the suit, Barton’s parents “sit back expecting their daughter’s hard work and dedication to her craft to support their lifestyle.”

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.