Martina McBride's husband, John McBride, and his Blackbird Studios were found guilty of retaliation in Nashville Federal court on Friday (Feb. 7th). McBride and Blackbird were sued by a former employee alleging that unpaid interns were performing personal errands for them. They were also accused of firing the employee, former operations manager Rich Hanson, who reported them to federal authorities. The jury ruled that Hanson should receive as much as half a million dollars.
The Nashville Fox affiliate reports that Hanson claimed the unpaid interns at Blackbird Studios had to perform such personal tasks as get groceries for Martina, pick up and deliver food orders, and, at one time, even check for a possible intruder at the McBride's Nashville area home. Hanson was fired after informing the McBrides that he had reported the alleged activity to the U.S. Department of Labor.