Production stopped on ‘Steven Seagal: Lawman’ in light of sexual allegations

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These days, Steven Seagal is seeing more action in real life than he does in some of his films.

First, the film star’s status as a “reserve deputy” for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office — as chronicled on A&E’s “Steven Seagal: Lawman” — was called into question by a Times story last year that revealed he lacked the proof to show he was legally trained to carry a badge. Then, on Monday, Kayden Nguyen of California filed a lawsuit alleging she was held captive by the actor and treated like a ‘sex toy’ during the taping of the television show while working as Seagal’s executive assistant. And Wednesday, the Louisiana parish’s sheriff’s office announced that, in light of the lawsuit, they have halted production on the show, which A&E had renewed for a second season. (This is bad news for Europe, where his TV show is a big hit!)

A spokesman for A&E said the network had no comment on the lawsuit but added that if the legal issues are resolved and production is allowed to proceed, the show will likely make a return.

Calls to Sheriff Newell Normand and to Seagal’s lawyer, Marty Singer, were not immediately returned. But, in a statement to TMZ, Singer had this to say: ‘The lawsuit filed by Kayden Nguyen against Steven Seagal is a ridiculous and absurd claim by a disgruntled ex-employee who was fired for using illegal narcotics.’ He added that the suit is a ‘complete fabrication without a scintilla of truth.’

— Yvonne Villarreal