14 DAY TRIAL // Aspiring model Andrea Duncan took a job as a caregiver with a wealthy Manhattan Family, working as a live-in companion for a socialite's daughter to pay the bills.
The 31-year-old blonde is now suing her employers for treating her like “Cinderella.” Duncan has filed a suit with the Manhattan Supreme Court, and expects damages for the emotional and physical abuse she suffered during her time as Susan O’Leary's “slave.”
O’Leary hired the girl for $250 a week, the NY Daily News reports. The fee was supposed to cover part-time services taking care of the woman's daughter, who suffered from “a mild emotional disorder.”
It wasn't long until the daughter, Suzanne, starting acting up. Duncan discovered she was supposed to act as Suzanne's gatekeeper, keeping her away from alcohol.
In fact, the 23-year-old had recently been hospitalized for “severe” emotional problems, an issues that had not been discussed at the beginning of the contract.
Duncan was confined to the apartment, where she had to remain 24/7 to keep an eye on the young woman.
She was made to clean the four-bedroom Upper East Side residence at no extra cost and serve drinks at cocktail parties wearing revealing, short skirts. Duncan also claims she was forced to have relationships with O'Leary's personal trainer and her broker.
If she was tired, she was forced to pop Adderall pills in order to work harder. When she didn't comply, she was threatened, told they would “throw her out on the streets.”
The last straw was an incident in August, in which an enraged Suzanne poured a pot of scalding water over the woman, during a fit.
She was left with visible burn marks on her abdomen. As one day O'Leary's guests caught a glimpse of the girl's wounds, she was immediately fired for “showing off” her scars.
Andrea Duncan is fighting social inequality with her suit, and believes she was taken advantage of by the rich family, as she had just moved to New York from Ohio.
“They see young aspiring actresses and models and they take advantage of them. Slavery was abolished after the Civil War. You can’t do that,” she says.