Ashley And Mary-Kate Olsen Settle Lawsuit, Wear Black To A Friend’s Wedding

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are back in the news again, but this time the news has nothing to do with Fuller House. The twins, who continue to do business together as co-owners of a luxury fashion label, The Row, have been thrown to the wolves in a new legal battle, upon having been named in a much publicized lawsuit over unpaid wages. The lawsuit alleges that the sisters have failed to pay an intern for her services, implying that the former Full House actresses intentionally attempted to defraud the employee. Now, just as the Olsens face the possibility of a tarnished name, they have stepped up, as owners of The Row, to make good.

The Olsen Sisters Step Up To Defend The Row’s Good Name

In 2015, Shahista Lalani initiated the lawsuit against Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, as owners of The Row, for failing to provide weekly pay or academic credit for the 50-hour work weeks she put in as a part of her training program, via New York’s Parsons School of Design, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald. In court documents, Lalani asserts that she performed much of the same work as The Row’s full time employees, which included photocopying and sewing, but also consisted of more physically demanding activities.

Among the latter duties Shahista performed at the Olsen’s business, the plaintiff stated that she had been required to carry around “50 pounds [23 kilograms] worth of trench coats” and “sweating to death” in 30 to 40 degree temperatures.

Lalani added that she was hospitalized for dehydration, as a result of the job’s demands.

Shahista joined a class action suit consisting of 40 other students in an effort to get Mary-Kate Olsen and her sister, Ashley, to fork over money for unpaid wages, including overtime.

The New York Supreme Court has ordered Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen to pay $140,000 as restitution to a class of 185 interns, though The Fashion Law reports that the deal still needs to be officially approved, before any payouts can be made.

The Bride Wore White, But The Olsen Twins Wore Black

People reports that the Olsens took off to Mangawhai, New Zealand, to attend the wedding of friends Maggie Kayne and Travis Hayden in late February, and for the big event, Mary-Kate and Ashley both showed up wearing black dresses. Mary-Kate was escorted by her 47-year-old husband, Olivier Sarkozy, while 30-year-old Ashley Olsen was accompanied by boyfriend Richard Sachs, 58.

Joining the rest of the wedding party, the Olsens and their significant others spent a four-day holiday at the luxurious Tara Iti golf club, which is owned by the bride’s father, Ric Kayne.

The decision made by Ashley and her sister to wear black to the wedding may have had something to do with the launch of The Row’s fall collection, which is notable for its monochromatic theme. While the gowns may have come from the twins’ fashion line, a wedding may have been an odd choice for showing them off, considering black is traditionally the color of mourning.

Mary-Kate Olsen recently shared some insight into her own home life, and her idea that a good family situation benefits one’s professional endeavors.

“I have a husband, two stepkids and a life; I have to go home and cook dinner,” Ms. Olsen said of her daily duties. “I ride horses on the weekends. You find the thing that helps you relax and if you don’t have it, you have to look for it. Or you get burned out and then you’re not productive.”

While the famous twins have largely retired from acting, they do commit to the occasional cameo. Ashley Olsen last appeared in 2010’s I’m Still Here. Mary-Kate Olsen’s last appearance was in 2011 for Beastly.

[Featured Image by Larry Busacca/Getty Images]