A judge has ruled against key claims made by the broadcaster’s former executive assistant in a legal dispute over non-disclosure agreements, while other elements of the employment case continue through the courts.
Howard Stern has won a legal ruling in a dispute with his former executive assistant.
The Howard Stern Show presenter, 72, and his wife, Beth Stern, 54, were sued in April by former employee Leslie Kuhn, who alleged she had experienced a hostile work environment while working for Howard’s production company, One Twelve.
A judge has now rejected allegations non-disclosure agreements bearing her name had been forged during her employment.
Leslie had also sought to have non-disclosure agreements signed in 2022 and 2025 declared unenforceable.
According to court documents obtained by Page Six, a judge has now ruled against Leslie’s claim the 2025 agreement had been forged, after evidence was presented showing an email sent from her account stating, “Signed NDA attached”, together with her electronic signature.
Howard, whose broadcasting career spans more than four decades and whose SiriusXM programme The Howard Stern Show, remains one of the most influential radio programmes in the United States and has continued to make headlines in recent months for high-profile celebrity interviews alongside the legal dispute.
Court documents state the judge in his case described the allegation the 2025 agreement had been forged as “a bald assertion.”
According to a court filing, an email recovered from Leslie’s account read: “Signed NDA attached.”
In her lawsuit, Leslie asked the court to rule both the 2022 and 2025 non-disclosure agreements were unenforceable because they prevented her from speaking publicly about her experiences working for Howard and Beth.
However, court filings state Howard had already agreed not to enforce the 2022 agreement.
According to the lawsuit, Leslie began working for Howard in September 2022 as an office manager for The Howard Stern Show before being promoted to executive assistant in January 2024.
The filing alleges her responsibilities expanded in May 2024 when she was asked to help manage Howard and Beth’s home in South Hampton, New York.
According to the lawsuit, Leslie alleged she was told she would assist Beth with “managing the staff of the mansion, setting staffing schedules, completing staff payroll and managing general household operations.”
The filing also states her responsibilities included “extensive at-home feline rescue and fostering operations”.
Beth, an animal welfare campaigner, told Page Six in 2016 she was fostering 17 cats.
Court documents state Leslie received a letter in December 2025 stating her annual salary would increase to $265,000 and she would receive an $80,000 bonus in 2026.
However, she was dismissed from her position in February 2026.
According to the lawsuit, Leslie alleged her dismissal followed “a hostile work environment” and “immense pressures on the household created by irresponsible and untenable animal rescue and fostering operations occurring on-site, and massively disorganised and questionable business operations and accounting practices”.
Howard moved to dismiss the lawsuit in April.
His attorney told Entertainment Weekly: “We are not going to play this out in public.”
The lawyer added: “The Sterns are entitled to enforce nondisclosure agreements signed by employees who enter their home and their private life. They have filed a motion to address the lawsuit and the conduct of Ms. Kuhn and her lawyer.”
In separate court filings, Howard described the legal action as “a thinly veiled attempted shakedown,” alleging Leslie had “hatched a plan to extract a staggering ‘hush-money’ payment”.
Howard Stern wins legal victory in case brought by ex-assistant
