Desperate Housewives actress Nicollette Sheridan brought against Mark Cherry ,who wants part of the lawsuit ,dropped.

The 47-year-old actress is suing the Desperate Housewives creator for wrongful termination, breach of contract and battery after she was told in February 2009 that her character Edie Britt would be killed off during the fifth season of the show, but Marc insists she only had a one-year deal and the renewal option wasn't utilised until the end of each series.

Arguing the wrongful termination claim should be dropped, his lawyers said: "Sheridan's services were governed by - as they had been, year after year - a one year fixed term contract between Touchstone and Starlike, which gave Touchstone the option to renew Sheridan's services for six additional one year-terms (or Seasons)...Sheridan had no more expectation of renewed employment for a sixth season Desperate Housewives than she had after the first season."

In January, Nicollette agreed to remove her claims of discrimination and harassment based on sex, age and sexual orientation from the suit.

The month before, she decided to leave the claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress out of her case against Cherry, ABC and Touchstone TV so she could avoid undergoing a psychiatric or physical examination.

Nicollette filed a lawsuit against the parties in Los Angeles Superior Court last April, claiming wrongful termination, retaliatory termination, assault and battery, discrimination based on sex and age, gender violence, breach of good faith and intentional infliction of emotional distress - the charge which she has subsequently dropped.

In her original suit, the actress - who is suing for $20 million damages - claimed Marc hit her across the face and sacked her when she complained to network ABC.

 However, the broadcasters have claimed Desperate Housewives director gave her a "light tap" while they were rehearsing a scene.