Friends 'sex slur' case

It is one of the most successful sitcoms of all time and has made household names of its six stars.

As the show nears its end on May 6, the writers behind worldwide hit Friends should be congratulating themselves.

Instead, they are fighting a sexual harassment lawsuit after, it is alleged, openly and obscenely fantasising about the stars behind the scenes.

According to a former writing assistant, Amaani Lyle, the male writers would discuss in graphic detail how and where they would like to have sex with actresses Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox, who played Rachel and Monica; joked about David Schwimmer's sexuality; and discussed making Matt LeBlanc's character, Joey, a rapist.

One writer on the show - which draws an estimated audience of 85million in the US - even allegedly boasted he could have had sex with Aniston if he wanted, and expressed a desire to commit an 'unnatural sex act' with her.

'I would have to listen to comments about the sexual conduct many of the writers would like to do with Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston,' claimed Lyle.

She said the writers made obscene references to Cox's anatomy and cruel remarks about her reported problems with conceiving.

The writers, who deny the allegations, admit some sexual discussion was necessary as part of the creative process.

Their lawyer, Adam Levin, said: 'They talked about their own experiences, using sexual humour, because that is what the show is about.'

Lyle's lawyer, Mark Weidmann, said similar cases had been settled for hundreds of thousands, even millions, of pounds.

'How do you put a price on emotional distress?' he asked. 'My client found her experiences very disturbing.'