Shooting halted on Seagal show

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NEW ORLEANS, April 15 (UPI) -- Shooting has been shut down on Steven Seagal's lawman reality show in Louisiana because of sex-slave allegations against him, authorities say.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said Wednesday he ordered the halt to filming of the second season of "Steven Seagal: Lawman," The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported. Seagal is a reserve deputy with the Jefferson department and the popular A&E Network show chronicles his activities for the department.

Normand opened the door for the 58-year-old action star's 23-year-old accuser, Kayden Nguyen, to bring a criminal complaint against the department.

"I will treat Mr. Seagal no differently than any other employee of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office," Normand said. "I'm not moved one iota by virtue of his being a movie star or the fact that the national media has an interest in this case."

Nguyen, a college student and aspiring model who filed a million-dollar civil lawsuit Monday in California, alleges Seagal held her in a mansion in February for his sexual pleasure.

Normand said he hadn't spoken to the actor since the suit was filed.

"I informed A&E ... that I did not believe at the present time in light of all of this interest and in light of the filing of this particular lawsuit and in light of the disruptive behavior that may end up existing ... that I did not think it would be in our best interest to continue filming at the present time," Normand said.

Seagal's attorney, Martin Singer, has called Nguyen a disgruntled ex-employee fired for illegal drug use. Singer said he's confident the lawsuit will be dismissed, The Times-Picayune said.

Nguyen's attorney called Singer's statement a vicious personal attack and said he would let the lawsuit speak for itself.