Marc Cherry on Nicolette Sheridan: “I tend to kill off people on this show … I’ve had only one bad experience with someone who took umbrage at their firing.”

Today was the kickoff of the summertime Television Critics Association press tour and Greg In Hollywood will be bringing you coverage over the next two weeks!

But your faithful blogger was not at today’s first event: a visit to the set of ABC’s Desperate Housewives. But, thankfully, Ray Richmond of Deadline Hollywood was. Show creator and executive producer Marc Cherry was asked about the pending $20 million lawsuit filed against him by former cast member Nicolette whose character was written out at the end of season five. She alleges physical abuse and that she was fired for reporting it.

Said Cherry: “I’m not going to comment further on that because I have some Disney lawyers who would have my hide if I did….As you know, I tend to kill off people on this show, something like 36 of them in its history. I’ve had only one bad experience with someone who took umbrage at their firing.”

Flanked on the Housewives set by regulars Eva Longoria Parker and Marcia Cross, Cherry continued, “You guys can come here and see how we interact, and how much love and kindness and tenderness there is.

Richmond also reports that Cherry may be ready to pass the reigns of the show along to someone else after the end of season seven: ““I hope (Housewives will be around) for a couple of more seasons, and my thing is I always will be executive producer and consultant on the show. It’s my baby. I can’t let go. I have control issues. They can’t totally get rid of me.”