Former Radio Star Sues, Alleges Former Colleagues' Jealousy Led to Extortion Plot

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 22: Radio personality Eduardo "Piolin" Soleto attends the 11th Annual Impact Awards Gala presented by the National Hispanic Media Coalition, held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on February 22, 2008 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) (2008 Getty Images)

In his lawsuit against six former Univision colleagues, Spanish-language radio host Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo painted a picture of a show troubled by jealousy and questionable activities by employees.

Sotelo accused them of a plot to extort nearly $5 million from him with threats that they would falsely accuse him of sexual harassment and workplace humiliation.

The suit, filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, said the employees were Piolin’s friends, one from high school, who profited from his success on radio and wanted revenge for being fired.

According to the lawsuit, the trouble allegedly started when a friend of Piolín who was named manager of the show found out how much money the radio host was making on promotional ventures and demanded a raise up to $1 million. It said the same man used his position to get jobs for friends, relatives and a young woman with whom he allegedly started an extra-marital affair.

This, the suit said, “created a workplace drama when (his wife) drove to Univision Studios and demanded the woman be fired.”

Sotelo's lawsuit details an alleged offer by the employees through their lawyers to "seal their lips" and take their allegations "to their graves" if Sotelo paid them.

Attorney Richard R. Clayton, named as a defendant, did not return a call for comment.

It said the friends hired by Sotelo, one who was working at a fast food restaurant after declaring bankruptcy, were given an opportunity to break into radio. The six defendants include a bakery deliveryman, an online copywriter, a medical waste hauler, a warehouse employee and a female traffic reporter.

Some were trained in radio techniques, the suit said, and one man was given a simple job of bleeping out curse words from the freewheeling show before they reached the air. It said that man sometimes failed to stop the words from getting on the air and was written up for it. But Piolín said he interceded to keep the man's job.

The suit said the woman, who had been given a late-night talk show, was discovered giving away prizes to her family members and ultimately was fired.

Sotelo's long-running show, "Piolín por la Manaña," was abruptly canceled by Univision without explanation last month. It was subsequently reported that a lawyer for a former staffer had written a letter to Univision in April seeking settlement of sexual harassment allegations.

"Piolín is appalled by the conduct of his former colleagues and personal friends," the lawsuit said.

His attorney, Jeffrey Spitz, called the alleged extortion scheme "one of the most brazen, shameless and despicable examples of a shakedown that I have ever seen."

Sotelo, who was recently elected to the National Radio Hall of Fame, played corny jokes and pranks on his morning drive time show but also hosted politicians including President Barack Obama to discuss issues such as immigration reform.

In 2007, he traveled to Washington, D.C., to present lawmakers with 1 million letters in support of immigration reform. He often spoke on his program of his own experiences as an immigrant crossing the border illegally as a teenager and later obtaining papers and becoming an American citizen.

Piolín, whose nickname means "Tweety Bird," also voiced roles in "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" and other movies. He recently signed a contract with SiriusXM satellite radio.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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