'Housewives' stars defend Marc Cherry

LOS ANGELES, April 14 (UPI) -- The stars of "Desperate Housewives" say allegations former cast member Nicollette Sheridan made against the U.S. show's creator don't reflect their experiences.

Sheridan recently filed a $20 million lawsuit claiming writer-producer Marc Cherry hit her on the set of the comedy series and created a hostile work environment before killing her character off the show last year.

However, the show's current stars Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria Parker and Teri Hatcher disputed Sheridan's allegations in a group statement issued to UsMagazine.com Tuesday.

"It would be irresponsible of us to let the public believe that being a part of this show from its inception has been anything but a blessing," the actresses' statement said. "We have no first-hand knowledge of what Nicolette may or may not have experienced, but we would never characterize our set as a hostile environment. It is, in fact, the opposite. The friendships and support that Marc Cherry, the cast, the crew and the producers have shared for the past six years have made this a wonderful job that we are grateful for every day."