NEW YORK – In a $4 million dollar lawsuit filed Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court, Joseph DeAcetis, 45, the former fashion director for Playboy magazine, alleges his former employer fired him because he is gay and gray, according to an article in the New York Post.

This is the last thing the storied sex brand needed as it attempts to regain its footing amid a publishing depression after a disastrous year of continuous rentrenchment that included the loss of Christie Hefner, the consolidation of departments and the closing of offices.

The company’s stock ended the week a tad over $2, well north of $6 off its 52-week high but better than the same period’s low of $1.03.

The Post reported that a rep for Playboy Enterprises, Elizabeth Austin, said the company “takes these allegations very seriously,” and will be conducting its own internal investigation.