Roehm

Wal-Mart, which fired two top marketing officials in December, is asserting in a court filing that execs Julie Roehm and Sean Womack engaged in a sexual relationship. At the time, the retail giant seemed to downplay the "inappropriate relationship" aspect as a cause of the firings.

Roehm, reached by the New York Times in Las Vegas, has denied the affair, writes Reuters (via MediaBuyerPlanner). She also reportedly said she had not had job discussions with DraftFCB, another claim made by the retailer in its countersuit.

Roehm filed a suit against Wal-Mart in January claiming that the retailer breached her contract and damaged her reputation. In the counterclaim, Wal-Mart provided copies of romantic emails that Roehm and Womack exchanged, such as one in which Roehm talked about kissing Womack.

Wal-Mart, under Roehm's direction, awarded its $580 million advertising account to DraftFCB and Carat USA in October. In December, after the firings, it reopened bidding for the account. DraftFCB was not eligible to bid. In January, Wal-Mart selected the Martin Agency and MediaVest for the work.