Rob Lowe might not have the superhuman capacity for debauchery of a Charlie Sheen, but he seems to be noticeably better endowed in the learning curve department. Twenty years ago Lowe more or less invented the celebrity sex tape, and the ensuing near-career-death experience haunted him for years. So when nannies Jessica Gibson and Laura Boyce sued Rob and his wife for sexual harrassment and wrongful dismissal, he hit back hard. Lowe countersued the two women, then went after his chef, Peter Clements, whom he accused of overcharging for food, stealing prescription drugs from the medicine cabinet, and using the Lowes’ marital bed for illicit trysts. But now all is forgiven. Clements has agreed to provide evidence against the two nannies, and the Lowes have agreed to make that bazooka of a lawsuit disappear. Funny how that works out.

Gloria Allred, the lawyer who’s representing the two nannies, claims to be unimpressed by this maneuver. She expressed her disdain by more or less playing with her food, metaphorically speaking:

“We believe that Mr. Lowe’s latest legal maneuver will blow up in his face and will not get him out of the hot soup that he has landed in because of the two lawsuits that we have filed against him,” the L.A.-based legal eagle said in a statement Tuesday. “Whatever Mr. Lowe has attempted to cook up smells bad—and will leave a lasting bad taste in his attempts to go after two innocent nannies who loved and cared for his children.”

We shall see. Allred is an absolute hammerhead shark in the courtroom, but Lowe has demonstrated that he’s not going to cop a plea on this one. This case promises to deliver hours of fun, when and if it finally reaches the bench.