Bethenny Frankel came out and said reality stars should take a page out of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and unionize.
She says she believes reality stars should be earning residual-like payments when their series become hits and are replayed by networks and streamers across multiple platforms.
It seems people were listening, TMZ is reporting some reality stars have gone scorched earth against NBC and, it appears, in particular, Bravo … claiming its reality stars have been subjected to “grotesque and depraved mistreatment.”
TMZ has obtained a letter sent by attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos to NBC, claiming current and former cast and crew members of its reality shows have been tormented. Among the allegations:
— Deliberate attempts to manufacture mental instability by plying cast members with alcohol while depriving them of food and sleep
— Denying mental health treatment to cast members displaying obvious and alarming signs of mental deterioration
— Exploiting minors for uncompensated and sometimes long-term appearances on NBC reality TV shows
— Distributing and/or condoning the distribution of non-consensual pornography
— Covering up acts of sexual violence
— Refusing to allow cast members the freedom to leave their shows, even under dire circumstances
The pornography claim is interesting … in the letter, the lawyers mention “distribution of revenge porn,” though they do not elaborate.
The letter demands that NBC retain a slew of information, including “nonconsensual pornography in connection with cast members … [and] alleged sexual violence perpetrated by or against cast members …”
The lawyers claim NBC has “threatened [cast members] with ruin should they decide to speak out about their mistreatment.”
It’s currently unknown which cast members are participating in the lawsuit
Click here to read the full document.
