"Desperate Housewives" producer Marc Cherry on Monday testified that he did not have Nicollette Sheridan's character Edie Brit killed on "Desperate Housewives" out of retaliation, but rather for creative reasons, to save money and because of Sheridan's "lack of professional behavior."
Also read: Nicollette Sheridan to the Court: Marc Cherry Gave Me a 'Nice Wallop'
It was the first time that Cherry has taken the stand in Sheridan's $6 million wrongful-termination suit against Cherry and ABC.
The actress testified last week that Cherry administered a "nice wallop" to the left side of her head after they disagreed about a scene from the ABC soap opera's fifth season.
Her suit claims she was let go from the show after reporting the Sept. 24, 2008 incident.
Also read: Nicollette Sheridan: 'I Was a Victim of a 'Desperate Housewives' Salary Gap
Sheridan's attorney Mark Baute asked Cherry if there are any emails or memos documenting the alleged unprofessional behavior. Cherry said he hasn't seen any.
When questioned further about her alleged unprofessional conduct and killing her off the show, Cherry said, "It wasn't my primary reason for my decision, but it was something I was aware of."
Sheridan was on the stand for most of the morning session, and testified that she did not report Cherry's alleged attack to ABC HR department when it occurred because "I was afraid I'd be retaliated against."
She also said that she had already reported it to line producer George Perkins and her attorney.
Her testimony also focused on a December 5, 2008 letter from ABC’s human resources department that concluded its investigation into the incident on the set.
The letter said that producer’s apology over the incident had from the company's perspective ended the matter and no further action would be taken for “inadvertently upsetting [Sheridan].”
"I thought it was an appalling outrageous lie," Sheridan testified in regard to the letter. "It made no sense to me."
But under cross examination from defense lawyer Adam Levin Monday, she admitted that she did not contact the studio to disagree with its assertions.
She broke into tears while reading a hand-written letter from line producer Perkins, which she received after her final rehearsal reading in 2009. The note cited her “class” and “grace.”