NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2008

Busboy Steamed At Timberlake's Restaurant

Employee Sues Pop Star's BBQ Joint, Saying He Wasn't Paid A Fair Wage

  • Timberlake, pictured in December, 2007. A busboy at the pop star's New York restaurant, Photo

    Timberlake, pictured in December, 2007. A busboy at the pop star's New York restaurant, "Southern Comfort," is suing, saying he wasn't paid a fair wage.  (Photo by Getty Images)

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(AP)  A busboy is suing Justin Timberlake, saying the pop star's Manhattan barbecue joint didn't pay him a legal wage.

Felipe Ramales, 26, said in a federal lawsuit filed Friday that he worked for Timberlake's Southern Comfort restaurant for about a year before he left in June.

The suit said Ramales and other staffers didn't get their proper share of a gratuity charge that the Upper East Side restaurant automatically collected from parties with six or more diners. Ramales, of the Bronx, also said he worked more than 40 hours per week without getting overtime.

A manager at the restaurant, Chris Russell, called the lawsuit baseless. He said staff members received every dime of their tips, and busboys were paid well over the legal minimum wage.

Publicists for Timberlake did not immediately respond to e-mail messages Friday night. The lawsuit also names two other partners in the restaurant; Russell said he couldn't immediately provide phone numbers for them.

Lawsuits alleging similar labor law violations have been filed against several other New York City restaurants in recent years.

Timberlake, 27, became a star as part of the boy band 'N Sync and has since become a best-selling solo artist. He also has appeared in the films "Alpha Dog" and "Black Snake Moan" and voiced a character in "Shrek the Third."

© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Add a Comment
by ybotheratall November 15, 2008 8:42 AM PST
Attention seeking loser. Check his green card!!
Reply to this comment
by hitoyou1 November 15, 2008 11:45 AM PST
He more then likely got screw by this *** HOOOOOLE. If he is not half gay he should be, He will never be as big as he thinks he is,
Reply to this comment
by benobana November 15, 2008 12:03 PM PST
I have a green card, it was given to me by DOD. I work 24 hrs a day in a war zone, being shot at and mortered in weather of 140+, drinking hot water, eatting MRE''s that tasted good at times. What kind of pay should a person get living this kind of life.
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