Dallas-based HMS CEO famous for ‘Bless Your Heart’ ads sued over alleged workplace sexual assault
An employee of Home Marketing Services, based in Dallas, is suing the company, alleging that CEO Bob Lovell sexually assaulted her while she was working in the office.
The complaint, which was filed in the Dallas County Court on Wednesday, alleges that Lovell requested the employee, identified only as Jane Doe, to engage in sexual acts in the workplace, use her employment as leverage and take revenge against her and her family, when she refused.
The lawsuit also broadly alleges that Lovell, who is named as the defendant, groomed and manipulated several young female employees to meet his own sexual needs in the workplace.
“Lovell’s public figure in his ‘Bless Your Heart’ commercials portrays him as a kind, gentle, and caring grandfather. The truth is, he’s nothing more than a dirty old man who exploits young female employees,” reads in the lawsuit.
The Dallas Morning News couldn’t reach Lovell. An attorney representing Lovell told The News that his client had not yet reviewed the lawsuit and was unable to comment.
Lovell is the owner and CEO of HMS, made famous in the Dallas area for commercials urging the public to “stop making your landlord richer and give us a call” with the tagline “Bless your Heart”.
The clerk claimed that Lovell would use encrypted phrases such as “my zipper is tight” and “I need help with my zipper” when trying to make sexual favors.
“Fearing losing her job and being unable to care for her 13-year-old daughter (who lives at her home) and 72-year-old mother, the plaintiff eventually gave in to Lovell’s demands for oral sex in the office.” “, It says in the lawsuit.
Lovell cared for the woman for two years, the lawsuit said, complaining of a lack of sex in his marriage and withholding business contacts in exchange for intercourse and other sexual favors in the company’s offices during office hours.
On October 28, Lovell signaled the woman that he wanted oral sex in his office and then locked the door when she refused and canceled her daughter’s health coverage through the company in retaliation “within minutes” of the interaction, the company said Legal action .
The complaint includes an accompanying documentary evidence of the loss of insurance coverage from the HMS health care provider with the end date of the insurance period on October 30th.
On the file, the woman also alleges that other employees at the company have raised similar concerns about Lovell’s progress, including another employee who said she was repeatedly urged by the CEO to show her breasts.
The plaintiff also filed a lawsuit with the Civil Rights Division of the Texas Workforce Commission in early November alleging that HMS had violated the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act, according to the file.
Before a new Texas law went into effect on September 1, companies with fewer than 15 employees were exempt from sexual harassment charges under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act. The law protects workers from harassment, discrimination and retaliation based on age, race, gender, religion and disability.
The lawsuit against HMS could be one of the first cases to test this new leeway for legal action against small employers when alleging sexual harassment under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act. HMS’s LinkedIn page states it has four employees, although that may not reflect the total number of employees.
The complaint also alleges that Home Marketing Services failed to investigate the sexual assault charges against the woman. She is demanding more than $ 1 million in damages, according to the files.
In 2020, Texas Monthly named Lovell to a list of Texas’ most famous local television and advertising legends, including attorney Jim Adler, known as “The Texas Hammer,” and mattress salesman Mattress Mack.
“The complacency of Lovell’s personality is the point (the company’s website is literally blessyourheart.com), as if the best way to turn viewers into customers – and homeowners! – is to nudge them gently into submission, ”wrote Texas Monthly author Dan Solomon. “Bless his heart, it seems to be working.”
As the owner and face of the company, Lovell has recorded a number of television commercials. Including one where Lovell asks a question supposedly asked by a prospect asking if the company’s success came from HMS ‘home deals or from great customer service.
“Meet our customer service team,” Lovell says into the camera while a Baywatch-style slow-motion clip of a woman walking down a hallway with her hair fluttering to the music.
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