Mischa Barton sues mother over management exploitation

LOS ANGELES, April 8 (UPI) -- Mischa Barton has filed a suit against her mother, Nuala Barton, claiming she has withheld earnings from her daughter's acting career and exploited her fame.

The 29-year-old actress filed the five-count complaint in the Los Angeles Superior Court and is seeking unspecified damages.

"This action arises from the tragic tale of a greedy stage mother posing as a talent manager who, instead of acting in the best interest of her daughter/client, schemed to defraud her unsuspecting victim," reads the suit.

The complaint states Nuala Barton had "absolutely no experience or training" in talent management when she took her daughter under her wing and that she set up a system that allowed her to control The O.C. star's finances and only gave her an allowance "at her sole discretion and on a sporadic basis."

Mischa Barton also claims she was sueded by her mother to purchase a property in Beverly Hills, which ended up being partly co-owened by Nuala Barton. The actress' mother and father currently reside in the home and she's reportedly "not welcome at the property."

Furthermore, the complain states that neither of the actress' parents has had a job independent of their daughter in the past decade.

"These revelations of exploitation and fraud, coupled with ongoing instances of bullying and verbal abuse, eventually led to the breakdown of Barton and Nuala's personal and professional relationship," reads the suit.

Mischa Barton rose to fame in the early 2000's for her starring role in Fox's The O.C.