Winfrey company sued by former employee

CHICAGO, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A former employee of U.S. talk show host Oprah Winfrey's production company, Harpo Inc., alleges in a federal lawsuit she was wrongfully fired.

Corrine Gehrls, a flight attendant on Winfrey's private jet starting in May 2007, alleges her co-workers on the jet, Myron Gooch and Kirby Bumpus, told Winfrey she and the jet's pilot had sex on board the aircraft, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday.

Gehrls alleges Gooch and Bumpus fabricated the story in response to work-related disputes.

Gehrls, whose age and hometown were not reported, alleges in her suit that she and the unidentified pilot were fired after Gooch and Bumpus told Winfrey how the pair had sex in the jet on June 14 while Winfrey was on board sleeping.

The Sun-Times said the married pilot in the employment dispute has allegedly resolved his dispute with Winfrey's production company.

Gehrls is seeking more than $300,000 in damages in her suit, which names Harpo Inc., Gooch and Bumpus as co-defendants.