14 DAY TRIAL // Actress Mischa Barton, best known for her role on the hit TV series “The O.C.,” is suing her own mother, who also acts as her manager, over claims that she’s been stealing money from her for years. Mischa is seeking damages and the coverage of court fees.
Nuala Barton is, according to court documents obtained by People Magazine and TMZ, “a greedy stage mother,” who has been lying and scamming her own daughter for years, enough to buy a Beverly Hills mansion, start a business, and build for herself a very privileged lifestyle.
Nuala Barton is evil, Mischa alleges
According to the 29-year-old actress, Nuala has been lying for years. She made sure that her daughter hired her as her talent manager, even though “she had absolutely no experience or training” for that, just so she could “siphon” money from her.
With the money she got this way, she bought a Beverly Hills mansion estimated at $7.8 million (€7.2 million), faking legal documents so her name would appear as co-owner on the deed. Later, she would ban Mischa from living there, so the entire place is now hers and her husband’s, Mischa’s father, Paul.
The actress notes that both her parents have not had a job independent of her career in over a decade, but Nuala never hesitated to “exploit” her name and reputation so she could make more money, including by launching “a handbag line and a fashion boutique.”
However, the breaking point for mother and daughter came when Mischa did the movie “The Hoarder”: her mother and manager told her she would be paid a certain amount for the role, only to find out later that her salary had been higher and that the difference went straight into Nuala’s banking account.
To that, she added her 10% manager’s fee, of course.
As of the time of writing, Nuala Barton is yet to address the allegations made in court documents.
Mischa Barton’s possible financial problems
A short while ago, Mischa’s own house was in foreclosure after falling behind her mortgage payments. While it’s true that she’s been working steadily both in TV and in film, she’s come a long way (down) from her fame back in the “O.C.” days.
Mischa has also had problems with substance abuse and emotional issues, which led to a Britney Spears-style meltdown in 2009, which she later attributed to the pressure of fame.
She still has many fans, but objectively speaking, she is not even half as in-demand as she was back then, which means the money isn’t as good either. This could explain why she just realized now that her mother has been stealing from her.
The lawsuit could also be Mischa's way of getting out of a bad business deal, as it would lead to the termination of her contract with her mom as her manager, and thus create better opportunities for the actress.