Emeril gets the boot in nasty Macy's spat

Chef Emeril Lagasse has been dragged into the increasingly bitter battle between Macy's (M) and Martha Stewart's company.

Macy's has decided to drop Lagasse's line of cookware from its 800 stores right in the middle of its ongoing courtroom fight with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO). The cookware line just happens to be owned by Martha Stewart.

Macy's says it's all just a big coincidence, and that Lagasse's cookware simply wasn't performing very well in stores.

This came as a complete surprise to Martha Stewart's legal team, reports Women's Wear Daily. "During a brief break, the team was overheard confirming among themselves that they had 'no idea' Macy’s severed ties with Lagasse," writes the publication.

Martha Stewart bought the Lagasse line in 2008 for $50 million, reports the New York Daily News.

Macy's is suing Martha Stewart's company and J.C. Penney (JCP), claiming that Stewart should not have signed a $283 million deal to sell her items at J.C. Penney. Macy's said it had the exclusive right to sell Stewart's goods.

Earlier this month, Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren testified that he hung up on Stewart when she called in December 2011 to tell him about her deal with J.C. Penney, and he hasn't talked to her since.

"I was literally sick to my stomach about this," he said in court. "It was something I couldn’t imagine."

Lagasse is keeping quiet about the development, but some of his friends aren't. Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain said on Twitter that Lagasse's cookware was of good quality and sold for a good price. Macy's is "playing vindictive small ball," he added. Other Twitter users told Macy's not to take out its beef with Stewart on Emeril.

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