Joan Rivers Labor Law Dispute: 'Fashion Police' Writers File Complaint For Back Wages

Joan Rivers appears to be a magnet for controversy. First, the comedienne finds herself in hot water for calling out Adele. Then, writers for her E! show "Fashion Police" file a $1.1 labor lawsuit. Now, even more writers are jumping into the dispute, asking for an additional $400,000 in damages and raising the number of writers involved in the complaint to 12.

Rugby Productions, the Rivers-owned production company that makes "Fashion Police", is being investigated by the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement over claims that show did not pay their wages at an agreed upon rate and violated overtime laws.

The show is not unionized, however the Western division of Writer's Guild of America did help the staff file their legal paperwork.

The DLSE will hold hearings to determine whether Rugby Productions and E! Network are liable for back pay and penalties.

According to the writers, Fashion Police violated state laws requiring an employer to pay hourly employees their regular wage rate for all the time they worked in an eight-hour period and claim that the show also disregarded overtime laws for any time beyond 8 hours in a workday or 40 hours in a workweek.

"We have not seen any claim filed by anyone anywhere and therefore cannot comment at this time," Rivers manager Larry A. Thompson told Deadline.

What do you think? Will Joan Rivers lose her labor law dispute? Do you think Rugby Productions or E! will have to pay back wages and penalties? What do you think this will mean for the future of Fashion Police, a cornerstone of the network since its debut in September of 2010?

Sound off in the comments and stick with Mstarz for the latest in entertainment news, including more on this Joan Rivers labor law suit as it develops.