chose to sign a long-term deal with Touchstone, since their network had shown faith in Desperate Housewives when no one else would. Cherry featured several actors on Housewives with whom he had previously worked. Mark Moses, who played Paul Young, and Harriet Sansom Harris, who played Felicia Tilman, were both cast members of The 5 Mrs. Buchanans. In season three, Cherry cast former boss Dixie Carter in the role of Gloria Hodge, Orson's unhinged mother. Actor Alec Mapa, who appeared in Some of My Best Friends, appeared on "Housewives" in a recurring role as Gabrielle's stylist. Cherry appeared in a cameo as one of Susan's moving men on the final episode of Desperate Housewives. Nicolette Sheridan accusations and termination On April 5, 2010, former Desperate Housewives cast member Nicollette Sheridan filed a $20 million lawsuit against Cherry and ABC, alleging that he had assaulted her on set and wrongfully terminated her contract. Sheridan also alleged in her lawsuit that Cherry was abusive to other actors and writers on the show. ABC said in a statement that they had investigated similar claims made by Sheridan and found them to be of no merit. The principal cast of Desperate Housewives, including (Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria), made statements supporting Cherry in his battle against assault allegations made by Sheridan. At the end of 2010, Sheridan removed abuse claims from the suit. The case finally went to trial in February 2012. On March 13, 2012, the judge dismissed the battery charge against Cherry due to lack of evidence, and Cherry was no longer a defendant in the lawsuit which then focused solely on Sheridan's alleged wrongful termination by ABC. Closing arguments were heard in the case on March 14, 2012 and the jury began their deliberations. By March 19, 2012, the twelve members of the jury had failed to reach a verdict and a mistrial was declared. A retrial was scheduled to begin on September 10, 2012, but on August 16, 2012, the Los Angeles Court of Appeal determined that Sheridan had not been wrongfully fired and dismissed the retrial. A further appeal made by Sheridan to the California Supreme Court was rejected on November 16, 2012. Devious Maids In 2012, after the end of Desperate Housewives, Cherry and Eva Longoria began working on a new series, Devious Maids. Initially it had been produced for ABC, but it then