On the first season of ABC’s excellent Brothers & Sisters – which we’ve already managed to plug today – Rob Lowe’s character, presidential hopeful Sen. Robert McAllister, escapes an extortion claim when fiance Kitty Walker (Calista Flockhart) enlists the help of gay brother and attorney Kevin, who digs up dirt (illegitimate child!) on the blackmailer (who threatened to expose the senator for not being the war hero he allowed others to think he is), forcing the evil-doing hopeful to abandon his tell-all threats and retreat.

Why our drawn-out plot synopsis? Because now the bones-jump-able Lowe is facing a real life extortion claim!

He and wife Sheryl are being targeted by a former employee, who wants $1.5 million in exchange for keeping quiet about sexual harassment charges — which, naturally, are entirely false, according to the actor.

A former employee is demanding my wife Sheryl and I pay her 1.5 million dollars by the end of the week or she will accuse us both of a vicious laundry list of false terribles. It is an attempt to damage and humiliate not only my wife and me, but our two young sons as well. My family is devastated at this betrayal; this woman worked in our home and traveled with us off and on for seven years, without complaint. In fact, she left other jobs to return to work for us three different times. Several weeks ago she quit abruptly, leaving us without a replacement. Within days we received these texts from her explaining her sudden departure […]

Everyone knows we live in a time where public figures are targets. But I also know of many people in everyday life who are paying the price of a climate where anyone can accuse anybody of anything, anytime, and hope for a big cash pay-off at the end. “Hush money” to just go away. Well I won’t go away. No one intimidates my family. My wife and I have many former and long term employees, all of whom know this woman, who can and will refute any claims of anything inappropriate in our home, or anywhere else. We will defend ourselves with vigor and without fear. [HuffPo]

Give this man an Emmy!