Who knew a dozen roses could cost so much?
According to Houston man Leroy Greer, the price is painful public scrutiny. But the Today Show's Meredith Vieira isn't buying it.
"You cheated on your wife," Vieira said in an interview Monday with Greer regarding his lawsuit against 1-800-Flowers – which he accuses of sending the bill to his wife after he ordered a dozen roses for his girlfriend. "Didn't you bring sort of bring this on yourself?"
Greer's $1 million lawsuit – filed this week in a Texas federal court – stems from his claim that once the secret flower purchase was revealed to his spouse, she increased the amount she is seeking in their divorce settlement.
The "mistake is going to cost Mr. Greer at lease half a million dollars," his attorney, Kennitra Foote, said on Today. After learning of the affair, Greer's wife asked for a $300,000 divorce settlement in addition to child support, she said.
"A lot of people out there are just saying you got what you deserved," Vieira contended. "They just don't buy the lawsuit."
The TV host wouldn't let up, reminding Greer several times of his infidelities: "You got caught cheating, and you should just swallow it like a man."
In his own defense, Greer said he wasn't cheating at the time. "When the roses were sent we weren't even together," he said. And, according to the company's privacy policy, 1-800-Flowers breached the contract he had with them to keep private the information about his purchase.
In its defense, 1-800-Flowers issued the following statement: "We take all matters relating to our customers seriously; however, we are not responsible for an individual's personal conduct."
