An 80-page lawsuit brought by a bestselling author contains stunning accusations that her husband and his assistant poisoned her over a three-year period in hopes of cashing in on her life insurance and estate.

Sherrilyn Kenyon, author of the Dark Hunter series and several other science fiction and paranormal romance novels, is suing her husband, Lawrence Kenyon, and his assistant, Kerrie Ann Plump, in Williamson County Circuit Court.

Kenyon accused Lawrence Kenyon and Plump of poisoning her with food and drink that they "would force her to eat and become enraged any time she failed to consume it."

Also named as a defendant is Paco Cavanaugh, who was hired by Sherrilyn Kenyon as an IT specialist and who had access to her email, bank accounts and other personal information.

Lawrence Kenyon is also accused of siphoning off hundreds of thousands of dollars of his wife's income for his personal use, and rewarding Plump and Cavanaugh financially for acting in concert with him.

The complaint paints a picture of a controlling, abusive husband who resented his wife for her growing success as a novelist, and who also purchased a million-dollar life insurance policy on Kenyon's life, without her knowledge, for which he was the sole beneficiary.

After hiring Plump through the Franklin business Tutor Doctor in 2014 to help with their son's education, Lawrence Kenyon hired Plump to take on additional responsibilities, paying her from his wife's business account that he wasn't authorized to use, the complaint said.

Plump is not an employee of Tutor Doctor, but has worked with the business as an independent contractor, owner Sal Ferro said on Monday. She worked through Tutor Doctor as recently as May 2018, he said.

In late 2014, Sherrilyn Kenyon began experiencing mysterious symptoms with no clear explanation, according to the lawsuit. No medical cause could be determined through tests, and Sherrilyn Kenyon became sicker and unable to walk without assistance.

A year later, the lawsuit said, Sherrilyn Kenyon's hair was falling out by the handful. Her teeth began to shatter. She became weak from symptoms including extreme nausea and vomiting, respiratory distress, facial swelling, tongue numbness, disorientation, vertigo, tremors, back pain and a strange metallic taste in her mouth.

"By February 2017, Ms. Kenyon's health was worsening to a critical level. No doctor or dentist could tell her why her teeth were routinely crumbling (and) her bones were breaking from very minor pressure," the lawsuit said.

In one instance during a convention in May 2017, Plump brought food for Sherrilyn Kenyon to eat at her hotel room. When Sherrilyn Kenyon shared the food with another employee, that employee became violently ill and began to vomit, the complaint said.

On more than one occasion, Sherrilyn Kenyon began choking after taking a few bites of food her husband served her. In one instance, according to the lawsuit, as Sherrilyn Kenyon began vomiting on the floor after eating food her husband gave her, Lawrence Kenyon told their distressed son, "she does that all the time, ignore it."

It wasn't until after her husband filed for divorce that Sherrilyn Kenyon had her blood, nails and hair tested for toxins. The tests found her body contained high levels of lithium, tin, barium, platinum and thorium, the lawsuit said.

After her husband moved out, Sherrilyn Kenyon's health began to improve.

The lawsuit said Lawrence Kenyon and Plump, who had taken on a more involved role helping coordinate Sherrilyn Kenyon's book-related events and appearances, worked together to sabotage her career by disparaging fans and industry professionals. Their actions, she claimed, led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars and several canceled contracts with her publisher.

Around the time he filed for divorce from his wife in March 2018, Lawrence Kenyon closed the bank accounts of their three children, totaling more than $450,000, then opened a new account in his name only, according to the lawsuit.

Kenyon is suing for several causes of action, including assault by poisoning, concerted action aiding and abetting, intentional interference with business relationships and invasion of privacy.

She's being represented by attorney Connie Reguli.

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