Jane Doe #2 says Home Marketing Services chief executive Bob Lovell put his hands under her shirt when she made a delivery.
A second woman has filed a lawsuit claiming improper sexual conduct in the workplace by Dallas-based Home Marketing Services CEO Bob Lovell, who is known for his TV ads with the tagline “bless your heart.”
The complaint, filed in Dallas County court Monday by “Jane Doe #2,” alleges that Lovell sexually assaulted her by fondling her breasts in March 2021 after she delivered the custom clothes he had ordered from her.
“Lovell’s false public persona hides the darker truth of his grooming and manipulating of female employees,” the lawsuit said.
The Dallas Morning News was not able to reach Lovell, who founded HMS, which helps people buy and sell homes. His attorney, Larry Friedman, said Lovell unequivocally denies the allegations.
“It’s terrible to be the victim of sexual harassment,” he said. “It’s equally as bad to be wrongfully accused of it. That’s the case here.”
Friedman said the fact that the accuser won’t use her real name and that she waited two years to file any type of complaint show that it isn’t a credible claim.
Similar to the story in the first complaint filed in December 2021, Jane Doe #2 accuses Lovell of making comments about an unsatisfactory sexual relationship with his wife, according to the lawsuit.
Lovell then offered her a job and put his hand underneath her blouse to fondle her breasts, the suit alleges. The woman asked him to stop and said, “You seem like the kind of person who thinks they can get away with such things,” according to the lawsuit. Lovell responded, “Yes, I know who I can touch and get away with it,” according to the lawsuit.
“Lovell’s public persona in his ‘bless your heart’ commercials portray him as a kind, gentle, caring grandfather,” the lawsuit said. “The truth is he is nothing but a dirty old man who preys on women and young female employees.”
The complaint also broadly alleges that Lovell frequently sexually harasses female employees and pressures women to submit to his sexual demands.
Rogge Dunn of the Rogge Dunn Group in Dallas is the attorney for both women, who are each seeking more than $1 million in damages. Dunn said he’s confident there are other victims, and he hopes they will come forward after reading about Jane Doe #2.
“It’s not an easy thing for victims to come forward,” Dunn said. “The reason Weinstein and Cosby get away with stuff like this is that people are afraid to come forward.”
The previous complaint was filed in December 2021 by an unidentified woman who said she gave in to Lovell’s demands for oral sex in the office because he withheld customer leads from her if she didn’t comply and she feared losing her job. When she stood up to him and refused his request, he canceled her daughter’s health insurance coverage through the company, according to the lawsuit.
In court filings, Lovell denied all allegations made against him and his company by Jane Doe #1.
In January 2022, Lovell asked the judge overseeing the case to request Jane Doe #1 to reveal her identity. In February 2022, Lovell countersued Jane Doe #1. In the suit, HMS says she breached her employment contract and owed $55,000 that was given to her as advance pay.
Jane Doe #1′s case against Lovell and HMS is set to be heard in April.