Oprah Winfrey and her company Harpo Inc have had a wrongful termination lawsuit brought against them by Winfrey's former stewardess Corrine Gehrls.

Gehrls is reportedly firing back at allegations that she and married pilot Terry Pansing had behaved inappropriately during a flight on Winfrey's private jet ? which resulted in their termination on 7 July 2009,reports eonline.com.

Others named in the Chicago defamation suit are her fellow flight attendants Myron Gooch and Kirby Bumpus (daughter of Winfrey's best friend Gayle King).

Gehrls says they "falsely told Winfrey and Harpo" that she and Pansing "had been observed having inappropriate intimate contact outside the cockpit of the plane".

Gehrls, who along with Pansing has denied the allegations, wants more than R2-million in damages.