LOS ANGELES (CNS) – An older sister of “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris has agreed to not seek a default judgment against her brother, who she is suing for breach of contract.
Colette Barris alleges in her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that her sibling broke a commitment in which they had agreed to avoid disparaging each other when he told a third party in 2022 that his sister is a woman with no talent.
The plaintiff filed court papers March 15 asking that the default process be started against Kenya Barris for not participating in the case. However, on Friday Judge Michael P. Linfield signed an order approving an agreement between the siblings allowing Kenya Barris to now begin moving forward and opposing his sister’s allegations in court.
Linfield directed Kenya Barris to file an answer or cross-complaint by May 31. A case management conference is scheduled July 10.
The judge said in his order that he was approving the siblings’ agreement “with the expectation that the parties will cooperate with each other in expeditiously setting a mediation.”
Kenya Barris, 49, is a film and television writer, producer, director and actor. Colette Barris has been a teacher for 35 years at Los Angeles Unified high schools and middle schools and has been assigned to Cheviot Hills High School for the past six years.
“She has a well-earned, sterling record as an educator,” Colette Barris’ court papers state.
In December 2020, Kenya Barris sought a domestic violence restraining order against the plaintiff, alleging that she had abused his children, Colette Barris’ court papers state.
Two months later, the siblings reached an agreement for Kenya Barris to drop his restraining order request and he promised not to disparage her in the future, but he broke that commitment in June 2022 by making unflattering comments about his sister to a third party, according to her court papers, stating that his sister is a “no-talent hack.”
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