A crushing blow to Nicollette Sheridan's wrongful termination suit -- the judge just threw out the actress' battery claim against show creator Marc Cherry ... meaning Cherry is no longer a defendant.
It was the crux of her wrongful termination action -- Nicollette claimed Marc struck her in the face during a rehearsal in 2008 ... then ABC fired her when she complained.
Marc admitted to touching her face -- in the context of demonstrating how he wanted a particular scene to play out -- but when she took the stand, Nicollette called it an unprovoked "wallop."
The judge found Sheridan's claims did not meet the standard of proof for battery -- so Cherry is no longer a defendant in the case ... because the battery claim was the only cause of action against him.
Nicollette's wrongful termination claim against ABC will still move forward -- but the judge's decision does not bode well.