NBCUniversal and Bravo have just been hit with a lawsuit, which accuses the networks of mistreating the personalities of their many reality shows.
After Real Housewives of New York City alum Bethenny Frankel, 52, encouraged her fellow reality stars to join the SAG-AFTRA strike, claiming they were “getting screwed” by Hollywood, a legal letter has been sent to NBC’s representation, Kimberley Harris, by attorneys Bryan Friedman and Mark Geragos.
In the legal letter obtained by Page Six on August 4, the networks were said to have put their stars through “grotesque and depraved mistreatment” and of making “deliberate attempts” to “manufacture mental instability” by providing their talent with “alcohol while depriving them of food and sleep, as well as denying mental health treatment for those displaying obvious and alarming signs of mental deterioration.”
They’re also accused of “distributing and/or condoning the distribution of non-consensual pornography,” and the “distribution of revenge porn.”
While no exact details were given in regard to the revenge porn, including names, the case went on to suggest the networks are guilty of “covering up acts of sexual violence” as they were asked to preserve information about the supposed porn and sexual violence.
“As you know, NBC has a pattern and practice of grotesque and depraved mistreatment of the reality stars and crewmembers on whose account its coffers swell,” the letter stated. “[NBC has] threatened [cast members] with ruin should they decide to speak out about their mistreatment.”
“As a result, the sordid and dark underbelly of NBC’s widely consumed reality TV universe has remained under wraps for far too long,” the letter added. “Please be advised that the day of reckoning has arrived.”
The legal letter comes on the heels of comments made by Bethenny, who left her role on RHONY in August 2019, in regard to reality stars and the strike.
“I myself have generated millions and millions of dollars in advertising and online impressions being on reality TV and have never made a single residual,” she explained on her Instagram account last month, adding that reality stars are considered the “losers” of the entertainment world.
“It’s complete and total bullsh-t,” she continued. “It just occurred to me, everyone is talking about actors and we don’t get paid s–t. So, either I’m missing something or we’re getting screwed too.”
Also during her rant, Bethenny encouraged Raquel Leviss to continue to play hardball with Bravo amid her negotiations for Vanderpump Rules season 11.
“The girl was a punching bag for everybody on every talk show in the entertainment industry,” she said. “She should not be shooting. She should be negotiating a contract that says … ‘I got dragged through the streets, and I was abused mentally.’”
In addition to Bethenny, Lisa Rinna, 60, has also spoken out in support of reality stars amid the writers’ strike, resharing a post from a fan on her Instagram Story that called for a BravoCon boycott.
“I mean if we’re being real here, shouldn’t all the woke Bravo Stans boycott Bravocon? They love flexing how progressive they are by calling everybody racist and campaigning for reality stars to be fired. Well, there’s nothing more left wing than workers rights and unions!” the message declared.
Lindsay Cronin
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