Friend sues Lauren Sánchez, says she was nicknamed 'Monica' over Clinton

A federal lawsuit filed by former friend Alanna Zabel claims Lauren Sánchez once had a romantic interest in former president Bill Clinton and was nicknamed "Monica" by Zabel after meeting him in 2009. Zabel says Sánchez told her Clinton was "so sexy and mesmerizing" and later interviewed him on ExtraTV in 2010, when viewers noticed flirty exchanges.

Zabel alleges Sánchez copied plot points, story arcs and subject matter from her children’s book Dharma Kitty Goes to Mars in Sánchez’s 2024 book The Fly Who Flew to Space. The complaint says the pair first discussed turning a helicopter trip—when a fly clung to the windshield—into a story, and that they had worked together privately for several years.

Zabel is seeking unspecified damages for alleged copyright infringement and sent cease-and-desist letters in March and April 2024.

United States

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