Exclusive: As true-crime continues its rise, CrimeCon, the leading live event for crime experts, professionals and fans, is bringing its content to those who can’t be in the room.
The event, which is taking place in Nashville from May 31 to June 2, has struck a deal with SiriusXM to air a raft of its sessions.
Some 16 of the event’s key sessions will be broadcast exclusively on SiriusXM’s Triumph channel on June 8 and 9.
Speakers at the event include CSI creator Anthony Zuiker, America’s Most Wanted’s John Walsh, Chris Hansen, Nancy Grace, Mark Geragos, Ben Crump, Sean “Sticks” Larkin, Paul Holes, John Douglas and Ann Burgess, who is the subject of Hulu docuseries Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer.
The events that will be broadcast include Til Death Do Us Part – The Epidemic of Love Gone Wrong, featuring Nancy Grace, Silent No More: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives,...
The event, which is taking place in Nashville from May 31 to June 2, has struck a deal with SiriusXM to air a raft of its sessions.
Some 16 of the event’s key sessions will be broadcast exclusively on SiriusXM’s Triumph channel on June 8 and 9.
Speakers at the event include CSI creator Anthony Zuiker, America’s Most Wanted’s John Walsh, Chris Hansen, Nancy Grace, Mark Geragos, Ben Crump, Sean “Sticks” Larkin, Paul Holes, John Douglas and Ann Burgess, who is the subject of Hulu docuseries Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer.
The events that will be broadcast include Til Death Do Us Part – The Epidemic of Love Gone Wrong, featuring Nancy Grace, Silent No More: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
After Hunter Biden’s attorneys threatened to sue Fox News for defamation, the network removed the six-part miniseries, The Trial of Hunter Biden.
Hunter’s attorneys threatened to sue Fox News for violating “revenge” laws and publishing since-debunked bribery accusations as part of a scheme to portray him inaccurately.
The letter, which President Joe Biden’s son’s counsel delivered to Fox News attorneys last week, includes a request for the network to “preserve all documents potentially relevant to the allegations in this letter” – a common precursor to litigation.
“We anticipate that litigation against Fox … is imminent,” the letter read.
Hunter’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, has represented well-known people like Michael Jackson, Chris Brown and Winona Ryder.
Geragos demanded Fox News issue numerous retractions and corrections for reporting on Hunter’s overseas business schemes.
“For the last five years, Fox News has relentlessly attacked Hunter Biden and made him a...
Hunter’s attorneys threatened to sue Fox News for violating “revenge” laws and publishing since-debunked bribery accusations as part of a scheme to portray him inaccurately.
The letter, which President Joe Biden’s son’s counsel delivered to Fox News attorneys last week, includes a request for the network to “preserve all documents potentially relevant to the allegations in this letter” – a common precursor to litigation.
“We anticipate that litigation against Fox … is imminent,” the letter read.
Hunter’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, has represented well-known people like Michael Jackson, Chris Brown and Winona Ryder.
Geragos demanded Fox News issue numerous retractions and corrections for reporting on Hunter’s overseas business schemes.
“For the last five years, Fox News has relentlessly attacked Hunter Biden and made him a...
- 5/3/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
NewsNation anchor Ashleigh Banfield is set to host this year’s Clue Awards, which will take place on June 1 in Nashville, Tenn., during the annual CrimeCon event. The ceremony, which announced this year’s nominees on Thursday, will also air live on the Law&Crime Network and stream on that channel’s social platforms.
As part of the event, John Walsh will be honored with the “crimefighter of the year” award for his work on “America’s Most Wanted” as well as his help in creating the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Last year’s recipients, the Gabby Petito Foundation, will present Walsh with his honor.
Presenters at the event will include “CSI” franchise creator Anthony Zuiker and Chris Hansen. among the roster of presenters.
As for this year’s “America’s Greatest Detective” award finalists include sonar technology investigative specialists Sandy and Gene Ralston; US Marshals Services Liaison with Ncmec,...
As part of the event, John Walsh will be honored with the “crimefighter of the year” award for his work on “America’s Most Wanted” as well as his help in creating the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Last year’s recipients, the Gabby Petito Foundation, will present Walsh with his honor.
Presenters at the event will include “CSI” franchise creator Anthony Zuiker and Chris Hansen. among the roster of presenters.
As for this year’s “America’s Greatest Detective” award finalists include sonar technology investigative specialists Sandy and Gene Ralston; US Marshals Services Liaison with Ncmec,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix is adamant she never shared the “intimate” video of Raquel Leviss that she copied from her former boyfriend Tom Sandoval’s phone, so she’s asking a judge to release her from the revenge porn lawsuit that Leviss filed against Madix and Sandoval in February.
In new court filings obtained by Rolling Stone, Madix says she only sent snippets of the Nsfw video directly to Leviss the night she discovered the recording because she was upset and wanted to confront her Vpr co-star over the...
In new court filings obtained by Rolling Stone, Madix says she only sent snippets of the Nsfw video directly to Leviss the night she discovered the recording because she was upset and wanted to confront her Vpr co-star over the...
- 4/29/2024
- by Nancy Dillon
- Rollingstone.com
Hunter Biden plans to level a lawsuit against the right-wing network Fox News “imminently,” according to a letter obtained by multiple outlets on Monday.
The letter, issued by Biden attorney Mark Geragos, warns Fox News Corp. and Fox News Digital that they are preparing to sue over “conspiracy and subsequent actions to defame Mr. Biden and paint him in a false light, as well as the unlicensed commercial exploitation of his image, name and likeness, and the unlawful publication of hacked intimate images of him.”
The letter specifically mentions “The Trial of Hunter Biden,...
The letter, issued by Biden attorney Mark Geragos, warns Fox News Corp. and Fox News Digital that they are preparing to sue over “conspiracy and subsequent actions to defame Mr. Biden and paint him in a false light, as well as the unlicensed commercial exploitation of his image, name and likeness, and the unlawful publication of hacked intimate images of him.”
The letter specifically mentions “The Trial of Hunter Biden,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
Tom Sandoval is reacting to Rachel “Raquel” Leviss’ revenge p-rn lawsuit following the fallout of the “Scandoval” on Vanderpump Rules.
According to court documents obtained by Page Six, attorneys for the 41-year-old star describe the suit as a “thinly veiled attempt to extend her fame and to rebrand herself as the victim instead of the other woman.”
Keep reading to find out more…
Rachel Leviss is attempting to paint Ariana Madix as a “scorned woman” and Tom as “predatory” with her suit, the documents allege.
The attorneys go on to claim that Rachel‘s “provocative podcast,” Rachel Goes Rogue, is also a move “to further bend the narrative to her will” in the aftermath.
In response, on behalf of Rachel Leviss, Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman said: “Sandoval’s response in the face of irrefutable evidence that will be presented in court is disturbing. Leveraging such claims for media attention...
According to court documents obtained by Page Six, attorneys for the 41-year-old star describe the suit as a “thinly veiled attempt to extend her fame and to rebrand herself as the victim instead of the other woman.”
Keep reading to find out more…
Rachel Leviss is attempting to paint Ariana Madix as a “scorned woman” and Tom as “predatory” with her suit, the documents allege.
The attorneys go on to claim that Rachel‘s “provocative podcast,” Rachel Goes Rogue, is also a move “to further bend the narrative to her will” in the aftermath.
In response, on behalf of Rachel Leviss, Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman said: “Sandoval’s response in the face of irrefutable evidence that will be presented in court is disturbing. Leveraging such claims for media attention...
- 4/28/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Detailing an environment of “racial slurs,” “sexual harassment and physical violence,” and retaliation, Vanderpump Rules’ Faith Stowers wants “her day in court” against NBCUniversal, Bravo and the reality TV series’ producers.
Seeking unspecified damages, Stowers’ legal action is being helmed by attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos. The litigating heavyweights have made spotlighting the underbelly of the unscripted world and pummeling the networks and producers behind it a cottage industry of late. Dense, detailed, timely (Stowers is launching a new podcast series), and shedding light on Stowers allegedly being “violently assaulted” with a knife by castmate Lala Kent, today’s lawsuit is very much more of the same.
Revealing that former waitress Stowers was paid a paltry $5000 for her participation in the fourth season of VR starting in 2015 and virtually nothing afterwards, the eight-claim filing in LA Superior Court also describes how racial mistreatment and other apparent misconduct became the...
Seeking unspecified damages, Stowers’ legal action is being helmed by attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos. The litigating heavyweights have made spotlighting the underbelly of the unscripted world and pummeling the networks and producers behind it a cottage industry of late. Dense, detailed, timely (Stowers is launching a new podcast series), and shedding light on Stowers allegedly being “violently assaulted” with a knife by castmate Lala Kent, today’s lawsuit is very much more of the same.
Revealing that former waitress Stowers was paid a paltry $5000 for her participation in the fourth season of VR starting in 2015 and virtually nothing afterwards, the eight-claim filing in LA Superior Court also describes how racial mistreatment and other apparent misconduct became the...
- 4/5/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
For decades, the Menendez brothers’ case has captivated Americans. In 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered their parents, José and Kitty Menendez. The brothers are now serving life sentences. Over the years, new details, evidence, and theories have circulated, keeping the case in the headlines. Now, Fox’s streaming service, Fox Nation, tells another side to this wild story. A new four-part docuseries, “Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains,” begins streaming exclusively on Fox Nation on Monday, March 25. You can watch with a 60-Day Free Trial of Fox Nation.
How to Watch 'Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains' When: Monday, March 25, 2024 Where: Fox Nation Stream: Watch with a 60-Day Free Trial of Fox Nation. 60-Day Free Trial$5.99+ / month fox nation via directv stream About 'Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains'
“Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains” raises questions about whether Lyle and Erik killed their parents as an act of self-defense. The men’s lawyers...
How to Watch 'Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains' When: Monday, March 25, 2024 Where: Fox Nation Stream: Watch with a 60-Day Free Trial of Fox Nation. 60-Day Free Trial$5.99+ / month fox nation via directv stream About 'Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains'
“Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains” raises questions about whether Lyle and Erik killed their parents as an act of self-defense. The men’s lawyers...
- 3/25/2024
- by Aubrey Chorpenning
- The Streamable
The public won’t get to see what’s going to go down in the $4 million battle between Love Is Blind contestant Renee Poche and producers Delirium and Netflix.
“The motion to compel arbitration is granted as to Defendants Delirium TV, LLC and Netflix, Inc.,” ruled LA Superior Court Judge Bruce G. Iwasaki today after a downtown hearing. “This matter is stayed pending the outcome of arbitration.”
“The parties have clearly agreed to delegate the Court’s responsibility to determine arbitrability to the arbitrator to decide,” the judge added of the ‘clear and unmistakable” language in Poche’s nondisclosure agreement. “The matter is delegated to the arbitrator to decide all the substantive issues raised by Plaintiff’s opposition to arbitration.”
In the sometimes contentious hearing itself, Judge Iwasaki put it even more bluntly: “The court is stuck with the contract. That’s the contract.”
Back in January, LiB Season 5 participant...
“The motion to compel arbitration is granted as to Defendants Delirium TV, LLC and Netflix, Inc.,” ruled LA Superior Court Judge Bruce G. Iwasaki today after a downtown hearing. “This matter is stayed pending the outcome of arbitration.”
“The parties have clearly agreed to delegate the Court’s responsibility to determine arbitrability to the arbitrator to decide,” the judge added of the ‘clear and unmistakable” language in Poche’s nondisclosure agreement. “The matter is delegated to the arbitrator to decide all the substantive issues raised by Plaintiff’s opposition to arbitration.”
In the sometimes contentious hearing itself, Judge Iwasaki put it even more bluntly: “The court is stuck with the contract. That’s the contract.”
Back in January, LiB Season 5 participant...
- 3/22/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
On Feb. 29, ex-“Vanderpump Rules” star Rachel Leviss filed an explosive lawsuit against her former castmates Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for eavesdropping, revenge porn, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. At the core of Leviss’ lawsuit is Sandoval’s recording of “sexually explicit videos of her without her knowledge or consent, which were then distributed, disseminated, and discussed publicly by a scorned women seeking vengeance, catalyzing the scandal.”
Though Leviss is not suing Bravo, NBCUniversal or Evolution, the production company behind “Vanderpump Rules,” the lawsuit, filed by her attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, claims these companies “sanitized the story to ensure Leviss would be seen as the arch-villain.”
But in contradiction to part of Leviss’ suit, Variety has reviewed an email from her former attorney dated March 6, 2023. In the letter, sent to Evolution’s parent company, MGM, Leviss’ then-lawyer insisted that the “right thing” to...
Though Leviss is not suing Bravo, NBCUniversal or Evolution, the production company behind “Vanderpump Rules,” the lawsuit, filed by her attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, claims these companies “sanitized the story to ensure Leviss would be seen as the arch-villain.”
But in contradiction to part of Leviss’ suit, Variety has reviewed an email from her former attorney dated March 6, 2023. In the letter, sent to Evolution’s parent company, MGM, Leviss’ then-lawyer insisted that the “right thing” to...
- 3/1/2024
- by Kate Aurthur
- Variety Film + TV
The aftermath of Vanderpump Rules‘ “Scandoval” is currently playing out on Bravo a year after news of the shocking affair and betrayal among the reality TV stars first broke. In the latest wave in the love triangle that captured the nation last year, Rachel Leviss (formerly Raquel), who had an affair with Tom Sandoval behind the back of her friend Ariana Madix, is suing the two in California over the infamous Nsfw sex video as well as eavesdropping and invasion of her privacy.
Leviss is seeking a jury trial in the legal action against her two ex co-stars and former close friends. Her side of the sordid affair is detailed in a complaint filed Thursday in L.A. Superior Court, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. It recalls that, in the storm of media attention following the news of the 29-year-old’s affair with Sandoval, 40, over season 10’s filming, she entered...
Leviss is seeking a jury trial in the legal action against her two ex co-stars and former close friends. Her side of the sordid affair is detailed in a complaint filed Thursday in L.A. Superior Court, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. It recalls that, in the storm of media attention following the news of the 29-year-old’s affair with Sandoval, 40, over season 10’s filming, she entered...
- 2/29/2024
- by Kevin Dolak
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The notorious “intimate FaceTime” call credited with launching Scandoval into a pop culture phenomenon is now the subject of a new eavesdropping, revenge porn, and invasion of privacy lawsuit filed by Raquel Leviss against her Vanderpump Rules co-stars Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix.
In her new 19-page complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday, Leviss, whose real name is Rachel Leviss, alleges Sandoval “surreptitiously recorded” her “in a state of undress and engaged in sex acts” as they embarked on a romantic relationship purportedly behind the back of his longtime girlfriend,...
In her new 19-page complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday, Leviss, whose real name is Rachel Leviss, alleges Sandoval “surreptitiously recorded” her “in a state of undress and engaged in sex acts” as they embarked on a romantic relationship purportedly behind the back of his longtime girlfriend,...
- 2/29/2024
- by Nancy Dillon
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive, Updated with Leviss’ lawyers’ statement: If you thought the blast radius from Vanderpump Rules‘ infamous “Scandoval” was contained, think again. In a blistering lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles, Rachel Leviss is taking Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix to court for claims of revenge porn, eavesdropping, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
And she’s pretty clear why.
“‘Scandoval’ captured the public’s attention in a massive way, went completely viral, and injected new life into Vanderpump Rules,” declares the jury trial-seeking complaint filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court (read it here). “It also caused mayhem in Leviss’s life, culminating in months-long in-patient treatment at a mental health facility and her departure from the show. Fomented by Bravo and Evolution in conjunction with the cast, Leviss was subjected to a public skewering with little precedent and became, without exaggeration, one of the most hated women in America.
And she’s pretty clear why.
“‘Scandoval’ captured the public’s attention in a massive way, went completely viral, and injected new life into Vanderpump Rules,” declares the jury trial-seeking complaint filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court (read it here). “It also caused mayhem in Leviss’s life, culminating in months-long in-patient treatment at a mental health facility and her departure from the show. Fomented by Bravo and Evolution in conjunction with the cast, Leviss was subjected to a public skewering with little precedent and became, without exaggeration, one of the most hated women in America.
- 2/29/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Brandi Glanville is asking for a personal apology from Andy Cohen after the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star alleged the executive producer sexually harassed her.
“I have not received a personal apology from anyone,” Glanville posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “I saw an apology that Andy posted To His Fans for his mistreatment of me and inappropriateness.”
Glanville was referring to a post Cohen made on the same platform after the reality TV personality accused the Watch What Happens Live host of inappropriate conduct.
I have not received a personal apology from anyone. I saw an apology that Andy posted To His Fans for his mistreatment of me and inappropriateness.
— Brandi Glanville (@BrandiGlanville) February 26, 2024
“The video shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi’s response clearly communicated she was in on the joke.
“I have not received a personal apology from anyone,” Glanville posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “I saw an apology that Andy posted To His Fans for his mistreatment of me and inappropriateness.”
Glanville was referring to a post Cohen made on the same platform after the reality TV personality accused the Watch What Happens Live host of inappropriate conduct.
I have not received a personal apology from anyone. I saw an apology that Andy posted To His Fans for his mistreatment of me and inappropriateness.
— Brandi Glanville (@BrandiGlanville) February 26, 2024
“The video shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi’s response clearly communicated she was in on the joke.
- 2/26/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Brandi Glanville’s lawyers, Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, have dismissed Andy Cohen’s apology.
The two lawyers released a joint statement on Friday, obtained by Page Six, calling for Cohen’s firing.
As Monsters and Critics previously reported, the Watch What Happens Live host released a statement after the two lawyers accused him of sending an inappropriate recording to the former Rhobh star.
The duo’s initial letter to NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, and Shed Media had accusations of sexual harassment stemming from a Facetime chat the former friends and co-workers reportedly had in 2022.
According to the letter, the footage featured an “obviously inebriated” Cohen telling Glanville of “his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
Cohen revealed via X that the other person in the video was Below Deck and The Traitors alum Kate Chastain and...
The two lawyers released a joint statement on Friday, obtained by Page Six, calling for Cohen’s firing.
As Monsters and Critics previously reported, the Watch What Happens Live host released a statement after the two lawyers accused him of sending an inappropriate recording to the former Rhobh star.
The duo’s initial letter to NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, and Shed Media had accusations of sexual harassment stemming from a Facetime chat the former friends and co-workers reportedly had in 2022.
According to the letter, the footage featured an “obviously inebriated” Cohen telling Glanville of “his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
Cohen revealed via X that the other person in the video was Below Deck and The Traitors alum Kate Chastain and...
- 2/24/2024
- by Paul Dailly
- Monsters and Critics
Update, 1:31 Pm: Comcast boss Brian Roberts needs to show Andy Cohen the door, lawyers for Brandi Glanville are demanding.
“NBC continues to protect those in power,” Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos declared Friday in a response to an apology of sorts from the Watch What Happens Live host to the Real Housewives vet after Glanville publicly accused Cohen of sexually harassing her.
“Brian Roberts, it’s time to step in like you did with Andy Lack and Jeff Shell, and stop the cover-up and do the right thing,” the lawyers said. “Your legacy and decency demands it.”
The call-out out to the Comcast CEO is clearly meant to generate a top-level reaction and media spotlight. Also, invoking the names of the former NBC News chairman Lack, who had a scandal-riddled tenure until he was bounced in 2020, the scandalized former NBCUniversal CEO Shell, who exited in 2023 after an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker,...
“NBC continues to protect those in power,” Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos declared Friday in a response to an apology of sorts from the Watch What Happens Live host to the Real Housewives vet after Glanville publicly accused Cohen of sexually harassing her.
“Brian Roberts, it’s time to step in like you did with Andy Lack and Jeff Shell, and stop the cover-up and do the right thing,” the lawyers said. “Your legacy and decency demands it.”
The call-out out to the Comcast CEO is clearly meant to generate a top-level reaction and media spotlight. Also, invoking the names of the former NBC News chairman Lack, who had a scandal-riddled tenure until he was bounced in 2020, the scandalized former NBCUniversal CEO Shell, who exited in 2023 after an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Andy Cohen is wasting no time in responding after Brandi Glanville accused him of sexual harassment.
Glanville’s lawyers, Bryan J. Freedman and Mark Geragos sent a letter to NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, and Shed Media on Thursday, which found The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star accusing Cohen of sending an inappropriate recording.
The letter claimed Glanville had been “a victim of sexual harassment at Bravo by none other than Andy Cohen,” Page Six reports.
It went on to detail a video that was reportedly sent to Glanville in 2022, which featured an “obviously inebriated” Cohen telling her of “his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
Cohen shared his side of events on Thursday afternoon with a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The Watch What Happens Live host said the video included Below Deck and The Traitors alum Kate Chastain.
Glanville’s lawyers, Bryan J. Freedman and Mark Geragos sent a letter to NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, and Shed Media on Thursday, which found The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star accusing Cohen of sending an inappropriate recording.
The letter claimed Glanville had been “a victim of sexual harassment at Bravo by none other than Andy Cohen,” Page Six reports.
It went on to detail a video that was reportedly sent to Glanville in 2022, which featured an “obviously inebriated” Cohen telling her of “his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
Cohen shared his side of events on Thursday afternoon with a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The Watch What Happens Live host said the video included Below Deck and The Traitors alum Kate Chastain.
- 2/23/2024
- by Paul Dailly
- Monsters and Critics
Miles Teller might be the latest Hollywood star to join the forthcoming Michael Jackson biopic.
In recent weeks, we’ve gotten some big casting details about the project which stars the late King of Pop’s nephew Jafaar Jackson as the “Thriller” singer.
New Oscar nominee Colman Domingo will play the Jackson family patriarch Joe, and Nia Long will play the singer’s mother Katherine.
We even learned who would be playing a young Michael in the movie.
Now, reports are suggesting that Miles is interested in a role, and some details have been revealed.
Read more about Miles Teller’s potential Michael Jackson biopic role…
According to Deadline, Miles has not finalized talks for the role. However, he might play one of Mj‘s attorneys.
The outlet noted that there were three attorneys who prominently worked with Michael throughout his career – Howard Weitzman, Mark Geragos and Thomas Mesereau.
We...
In recent weeks, we’ve gotten some big casting details about the project which stars the late King of Pop’s nephew Jafaar Jackson as the “Thriller” singer.
New Oscar nominee Colman Domingo will play the Jackson family patriarch Joe, and Nia Long will play the singer’s mother Katherine.
We even learned who would be playing a young Michael in the movie.
Now, reports are suggesting that Miles is interested in a role, and some details have been revealed.
Read more about Miles Teller’s potential Michael Jackson biopic role…
According to Deadline, Miles has not finalized talks for the role. However, he might play one of Mj‘s attorneys.
The outlet noted that there were three attorneys who prominently worked with Michael throughout his career – Howard Weitzman, Mark Geragos and Thomas Mesereau.
We...
- 2/1/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Exclusive: Top Gun: Maverick and Whiplash star Miles Teller is in talks to join Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International’s Antoine Fuqua-directed Michael.
Sources tell us that there’s no deal yet for Teller. The movie is currently shooing ahead of an April 18, 2025 theatrical release.
Teller, we hear, would play an attorney in the Michael Jackson biopic. Exactly which of Jackson’s attorneys, we will see. The late Howard Weitzman was known for defending Jackson and his estate, in particular against creditor claims and accusations of pedophilia. Then there was Mark Geragos, who assisted Jackson in the early stages of 2005’s People vs. Jackson molestation case, before getting replaced by Thomas Mesereau.
Related: ‘Michael’ Cast: Who’s Who In The Michael Jackson Biopic
If the deal makes, Teller would join a booming cast that includes Colman Domingo as patriarch Joe Jackson, Nia Long as mother Katherine Jackson, as well as Jaafar Jackson,...
Sources tell us that there’s no deal yet for Teller. The movie is currently shooing ahead of an April 18, 2025 theatrical release.
Teller, we hear, would play an attorney in the Michael Jackson biopic. Exactly which of Jackson’s attorneys, we will see. The late Howard Weitzman was known for defending Jackson and his estate, in particular against creditor claims and accusations of pedophilia. Then there was Mark Geragos, who assisted Jackson in the early stages of 2005’s People vs. Jackson molestation case, before getting replaced by Thomas Mesereau.
Related: ‘Michael’ Cast: Who’s Who In The Michael Jackson Biopic
If the deal makes, Teller would join a booming cast that includes Colman Domingo as patriarch Joe Jackson, Nia Long as mother Katherine Jackson, as well as Jaafar Jackson,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Renee Poche, a season five contestant on Love Is Blind, has filed a lawsuit against Netflix and Delirium TV.
Poche, a veterinarian from Texas, also claimed that she was hardly shown on screen.
Through her lawyers Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, Poche filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court after the production company, Delirium TV, initiated a private arbitration case against her for her allegedly violation their nondisclosure agreement. The company is seeking to nullify her contract.
Poche claims that her issues with the production began immediately upon her arrival on set. She alleges that the crew confiscated her phone, passport and driver’s license upon arrival and forced her to stay locked in a hotel room “like a prisoner.”
She was then thrust into an on-screen relationship with Carter Wall, a fellow cast member who Poche described as a “walking red flag” that she was “utterly terrified of.
Poche, a veterinarian from Texas, also claimed that she was hardly shown on screen.
Through her lawyers Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, Poche filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court after the production company, Delirium TV, initiated a private arbitration case against her for her allegedly violation their nondisclosure agreement. The company is seeking to nullify her contract.
Poche claims that her issues with the production began immediately upon her arrival on set. She alleges that the crew confiscated her phone, passport and driver’s license upon arrival and forced her to stay locked in a hotel room “like a prisoner.”
She was then thrust into an on-screen relationship with Carter Wall, a fellow cast member who Poche described as a “walking red flag” that she was “utterly terrified of.
- 1/18/2024
- by Morgan Lee Powers
- Uinterview
The makers of an access-all-areas documentary about Andrew Tate have revealed that the controversial influencer imposed only one condition on their filming.
Dan Reed, who produced I Am Andrew Tate, which airs Sunday evening in the UK, wrote in The Guardian newspaper that Tate told his team: “You can ask me anything. The only condition is you can’t film my [computer] screens.”
The screens are where Tate has made his money, turning his enterprise of optimising the online sex trade with direct messaging to male clients into a global franchise, including ‘university courses’ and lifestyle videos. While he claims to be the most googled man on the planet, Reed reveals that in 2022 Tate came in at number eight on the list of top internet name searches.
Reed, who previously made the Michael Jackson expose film Leaving Neverland, wrote that, contrary to Tate’s bold persona, in person during their first meeting in Dubai,...
Dan Reed, who produced I Am Andrew Tate, which airs Sunday evening in the UK, wrote in The Guardian newspaper that Tate told his team: “You can ask me anything. The only condition is you can’t film my [computer] screens.”
The screens are where Tate has made his money, turning his enterprise of optimising the online sex trade with direct messaging to male clients into a global franchise, including ‘university courses’ and lifestyle videos. While he claims to be the most googled man on the planet, Reed reveals that in 2022 Tate came in at number eight on the list of top internet name searches.
Reed, who previously made the Michael Jackson expose film Leaving Neverland, wrote that, contrary to Tate’s bold persona, in person during their first meeting in Dubai,...
- 1/6/2024
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Renee Poche has filed a suit against Netflix and production companies Kinetic Content and Delirium TV.
The former contestant on season five of Love Is Blind has filed suit against producers of the reality show, in an attempt to stop a reported $4 million arbitration from the producers against her.
Keep reading to find out more…
In November, producers took out an arbitration against her for “some limited public remarks about her distressing time on the Program, including the terrifying experiences she had with Wall.”
In her countersuit, she shared some more details about how the conditions were behind the scenes when they were not filming.
“On her first night in Los Angeles, the Program’s production staff seized Poche’s phone, passport, and driver’s license,” her complaint states, via Deadline. “When not filming, Poche was locked in her hotel room, unable to leave without a ‘castwrangler’ accompanying her. She...
The former contestant on season five of Love Is Blind has filed suit against producers of the reality show, in an attempt to stop a reported $4 million arbitration from the producers against her.
Keep reading to find out more…
In November, producers took out an arbitration against her for “some limited public remarks about her distressing time on the Program, including the terrifying experiences she had with Wall.”
In her countersuit, she shared some more details about how the conditions were behind the scenes when they were not filming.
“On her first night in Los Angeles, the Program’s production staff seized Poche’s phone, passport, and driver’s license,” her complaint states, via Deadline. “When not filming, Poche was locked in her hotel room, unable to leave without a ‘castwrangler’ accompanying her. She...
- 1/3/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Former Love Is Blind contestant Renee Poche claimed her ex-fiancé on the show was violent and emotionally abusive, and that the show’s producers were well aware of these issues and did little to help.
The Austin-based veterinarian was part of Season Five and ended up partnering up with Carter Wall, whom the suit claims was “broke and jobless, but also homeless, violent, estranged from his parents, and actively addicted to amphetamines and alcohol.” (The suit was first reported by Variety.)
Noting the extensive interview, screening, and background check process...
The Austin-based veterinarian was part of Season Five and ended up partnering up with Carter Wall, whom the suit claims was “broke and jobless, but also homeless, violent, estranged from his parents, and actively addicted to amphetamines and alcohol.” (The suit was first reported by Variety.)
Noting the extensive interview, screening, and background check process...
- 1/3/2024
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Justice may be blind, but it’s hard to look away from the legal mess Love is Blind has become.
Back in October, reality series contestant Tran Dang went after Love is Blind production companies Kinetic Content and Delirium TV with a sexual assault, false imprisonment and negligence lawsuit. Now, Season 5 participant Renee Poche is suing Delirium and Netflix to stop a $4 million arbitration the producers took against her in November for “some limited public remarks about her distressing time on the Program, including the terrifying experiences she had with Wall.”
Similar to claims Dang made last year, Poche details what allegedly really went down behind the sordid scenes during her time on Love Is Blind.
“On her first night in Los Angeles, the Program’s production staff seized Poche’s phone, passport, and driver’s license,” today’s complaint says. “When not filming, Poche was locked in her hotel room,...
Back in October, reality series contestant Tran Dang went after Love is Blind production companies Kinetic Content and Delirium TV with a sexual assault, false imprisonment and negligence lawsuit. Now, Season 5 participant Renee Poche is suing Delirium and Netflix to stop a $4 million arbitration the producers took against her in November for “some limited public remarks about her distressing time on the Program, including the terrifying experiences she had with Wall.”
Similar to claims Dang made last year, Poche details what allegedly really went down behind the sordid scenes during her time on Love Is Blind.
“On her first night in Los Angeles, the Program’s production staff seized Poche’s phone, passport, and driver’s license,” today’s complaint says. “When not filming, Poche was locked in her hotel room,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
In November 2021, a “Love Is Blind” casting agent reached out to Renee Poche on Instagram to see if she would be interested in participating in the Netflix reality phenomenon that encourages romance between participants before they see one another other face to face. After passing a grueling interview process, the Texas veterinarian began filming in April 2022, joining the Season 5 cast of 15 men and 15 women in Los Angeles.
On her first night, production staff seized Poche’s phone, passport and driver’s license, she claims in legal filings, and kept her locked in her hotel room, unable to leave without a cast wrangler accompanying her. Poche wound up in a so-called showmance with Carter Wall, who landed a spot on the series despite being allegedly broke, jobless, unhoused, violent and addicted to amphetamines and alcohol — a stunning feat given the thorough vetting done by Delirium TV, the show’s production company.
On her first night, production staff seized Poche’s phone, passport and driver’s license, she claims in legal filings, and kept her locked in her hotel room, unable to leave without a cast wrangler accompanying her. Poche wound up in a so-called showmance with Carter Wall, who landed a spot on the series despite being allegedly broke, jobless, unhoused, violent and addicted to amphetamines and alcohol — a stunning feat given the thorough vetting done by Delirium TV, the show’s production company.
- 1/3/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
While Jonathan Majors has been convicted of assault and harassment, members of the legal community believe the actor will get little to any jail time and may have grounds for an appeal — though the career consequences of doing so may outweigh the benefits.
The actor was found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, and of harassment in the second degree, which is a violation. The assault charge carries a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail, but several attorneys said they do not believe Majors will spend time behind bars. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 6.
“Since it’s the defendant’s first conviction, although technically he faces one year of jail, the judge will 99 percent give him three years probation, anger management and possibly some community service. Mr. Majors is not getting jail time,” said Cary London, a Manhattan-based civil rights...
The actor was found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, and of harassment in the second degree, which is a violation. The assault charge carries a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail, but several attorneys said they do not believe Majors will spend time behind bars. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 6.
“Since it’s the defendant’s first conviction, although technically he faces one year of jail, the judge will 99 percent give him three years probation, anger management and possibly some community service. Mr. Majors is not getting jail time,” said Cary London, a Manhattan-based civil rights...
- 12/20/2023
- by Caitlin Huston and Ashley Cullins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bethenny Frankel Applauds NBCUniversal’s Updated Conduct Guidelines: ‘The Reality Reckoning Is Here’
Bethenny Frankel applauded NBCUniversal’s new and improved workplace guidelines after they were released Friday declaring, “the reality reckoning is here” and tagging her former employer Bravo, a subsidiary of NBCU.
In an Instagram post, the former “Real Housewives of New York City” star, who has spearheaded the so-called “reality reckoning” movement calling for better pay and stronger conduct guidelines for unscripted television participants, applauded NBCU for addressing “obvious” issues.
“There are very few times in my career and life when I have been certain that I am on the right path, albeit a challenging one… but worth the fight for a cause,” Frankel wrote.
“To my former employers at NBC Universal and Frances Berwick, who I have always enjoyed, liked, admired and genuinely respected, Bravo to you,” she added. “You are a strong example to women, to executives and to other networks and streamers who have already begun to...
In an Instagram post, the former “Real Housewives of New York City” star, who has spearheaded the so-called “reality reckoning” movement calling for better pay and stronger conduct guidelines for unscripted television participants, applauded NBCU for addressing “obvious” issues.
“There are very few times in my career and life when I have been certain that I am on the right path, albeit a challenging one… but worth the fight for a cause,” Frankel wrote.
“To my former employers at NBC Universal and Frances Berwick, who I have always enjoyed, liked, admired and genuinely respected, Bravo to you,” she added. “You are a strong example to women, to executives and to other networks and streamers who have already begun to...
- 9/22/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Los Angeles magazine has signed with CAA for representation.
The magazine is owned by Engine Vision Media, a company headed by power lawyers Ben Meiselas and Mark Geragos. The duo bought Los Angeles in December 2022 from Detroit-based Hour Media; the deal also included Pasadena and Orange Coast magazines.
CAA will work with the magazine to adapt its stories into scripted and unscripted series and films, along with other media formats.
“I am thrilled to partner with CAA to bring the most interesting stories about the greatest city in the world to an even bigger audience,” Meiselas said in a statement. “CAA is the best in the business.”
Christopher Gialanella is the publisher of Los Angeles, and Shirley Halperin is editor-in-chief. Halperin, former executive editor of music at Variety, joined the magazine in June, taking over for Maer Roshan (who was recently named co-editor-in-chief of The Hollywood Reporter).
Los Angeles has...
The magazine is owned by Engine Vision Media, a company headed by power lawyers Ben Meiselas and Mark Geragos. The duo bought Los Angeles in December 2022 from Detroit-based Hour Media; the deal also included Pasadena and Orange Coast magazines.
CAA will work with the magazine to adapt its stories into scripted and unscripted series and films, along with other media formats.
“I am thrilled to partner with CAA to bring the most interesting stories about the greatest city in the world to an even bigger audience,” Meiselas said in a statement. “CAA is the best in the business.”
Christopher Gialanella is the publisher of Los Angeles, and Shirley Halperin is editor-in-chief. Halperin, former executive editor of music at Variety, joined the magazine in June, taking over for Maer Roshan (who was recently named co-editor-in-chief of The Hollywood Reporter).
Los Angeles has...
- 9/14/2023
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Since Bravo’s “Real Housewives of New York” star Bethenny Frankel called for reality stars to join striking writers and actors on the picket line, her “reality TV reckoning” has picked up support from SAG-AFTRA and prompted legal action, but some insiders are cynical how far Frankel’s efforts will go to substantially transform the industry.
“Like anything that is a movement, or a revolution, it takes a lot of different factors to come together, and I don’t know that this time, there are those factors happening,” unscripted producer Justin Hochberg, who has served as an EP on shows including “The Apprentice” and “Buying Beverly Hills,” told TheWrap, adding that the infrastructure for reality doesn’t exist in the same way that unions and guilds support the rest of the industry.
“It’s harder to start that [movement] for reality TV than it is for SAG-AFTRA to go on strike...
“Like anything that is a movement, or a revolution, it takes a lot of different factors to come together, and I don’t know that this time, there are those factors happening,” unscripted producer Justin Hochberg, who has served as an EP on shows including “The Apprentice” and “Buying Beverly Hills,” told TheWrap, adding that the infrastructure for reality doesn’t exist in the same way that unions and guilds support the rest of the industry.
“It’s harder to start that [movement] for reality TV than it is for SAG-AFTRA to go on strike...
- 9/13/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Staffers at MTV’s comedy show focused on viral videos, Ridiculousness, have voted to unionize with the Writers Guild of America West.
In a National Labor Relations Board ballot count that occurred Monday in Los Angeles, eight creative consultants voted to join the WGA West, while none voted against, a spokesperson from the Nlrb shared on Tuesday. Two ballots were challenged and won’t be counted “because they aren’t determinative,” said Nlrb director and press secretary Kayla Blado.
The union and the employer now have five days to raise any objections, and if none are brought forth, the Ridiculousness union will be certified and can begin to bargain a first contract.
“Yesterday, my colleagues and I voted in favor of joining the Writers Guild of America West by the widest possible margin, 100%. This result really matters given the scare tactics used by the company in an attempt to disempower us and break our unity,...
In a National Labor Relations Board ballot count that occurred Monday in Los Angeles, eight creative consultants voted to join the WGA West, while none voted against, a spokesperson from the Nlrb shared on Tuesday. Two ballots were challenged and won’t be counted “because they aren’t determinative,” said Nlrb director and press secretary Kayla Blado.
The union and the employer now have five days to raise any objections, and if none are brought forth, the Ridiculousness union will be certified and can begin to bargain a first contract.
“Yesterday, my colleagues and I voted in favor of joining the Writers Guild of America West by the widest possible margin, 100%. This result really matters given the scare tactics used by the company in an attempt to disempower us and break our unity,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bravo has issued a response after “Real Housewives of New York City” alum Bethenny Frankel teamed with top entertainment lawyers Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos to call out the network for its alleged exploitation of reality TV stars.
While striking actors and writers are taking to the picket lines about a variety of issues, Frankel is shining the spotlight on reality TV personalities, who aren’t recognized by any unions — yet.
“Something has to change because the current system is broken,” Geragos told Variety, while Frankel has suggested that reality stars form their own union.
In early August, Freedman and Geragos sent a litigation hold notice to Bravo’s parent company, NBCUniversal, warning that the “day of reckoning” had arrived, alleging that the network’s reality stars had suffered “grotesque and depraved mistreatment,” including being denied requests for mental health treatment, encouraging cast members of series to excessively consume alcohol...
While striking actors and writers are taking to the picket lines about a variety of issues, Frankel is shining the spotlight on reality TV personalities, who aren’t recognized by any unions — yet.
“Something has to change because the current system is broken,” Geragos told Variety, while Frankel has suggested that reality stars form their own union.
In early August, Freedman and Geragos sent a litigation hold notice to Bravo’s parent company, NBCUniversal, warning that the “day of reckoning” had arrived, alleging that the network’s reality stars had suffered “grotesque and depraved mistreatment,” including being denied requests for mental health treatment, encouraging cast members of series to excessively consume alcohol...
- 8/26/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
As the threat of legal action looms, Bravo is clarifying that reality TV stars can break their nondisclosure agreements when it pertains to “unlawful acts in the workplace.”
A spokesperson for the network shared in a statement with The Hollywood Reporter Friday, “Confidentiality clauses are standard practice in reality programming to prevent disclosure of storylines prior to air. They are not intended to prevent disclosure by cast and crew of unlawful acts in the workplace, and they have not been enforced in that manner.”
“To be clear: any current or former cast or crew is free to discuss and disclose any allegedly unlawful acts in the workplace, such as harassment or discrimination, or any other conduct they have reason to believe is inappropriate,” the statement continued. “We are also working with our third party production companies to remind all cast and crew that they are encouraged to report any such...
A spokesperson for the network shared in a statement with The Hollywood Reporter Friday, “Confidentiality clauses are standard practice in reality programming to prevent disclosure of storylines prior to air. They are not intended to prevent disclosure by cast and crew of unlawful acts in the workplace, and they have not been enforced in that manner.”
“To be clear: any current or former cast or crew is free to discuss and disclose any allegedly unlawful acts in the workplace, such as harassment or discrimination, or any other conduct they have reason to believe is inappropriate,” the statement continued. “We are also working with our third party production companies to remind all cast and crew that they are encouraged to report any such...
- 8/26/2023
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The sordid underbelly of reality TV might soon be brought out into the spotlight, and Bravo and NBCUniversal are saying they are all right with that and have been for a while.
Less than week after another letter from lawyers for Bethenny Frankel went to NBCU brass over claims of sexual violence, booze and the “grotesque and depraved mistreatment of the reality stars and crewmembers,” the Comcast-owned outlet says the NDAs have never stopped series participants from talking about illegal activity.
That was made clear Friday by a spokesperson from Bravo, home of Vanderpump Rules and the Real Housewives franchise:
Confidentiality clauses are standard practice in reality programming to prevent disclosure of storylines prior to air. They are not intended to prevent disclosure by cast and crew of unlawful acts in the workplace, and they have not been enforced in that manner. To be clear: any current or former...
Less than week after another letter from lawyers for Bethenny Frankel went to NBCU brass over claims of sexual violence, booze and the “grotesque and depraved mistreatment of the reality stars and crewmembers,” the Comcast-owned outlet says the NDAs have never stopped series participants from talking about illegal activity.
That was made clear Friday by a spokesperson from Bravo, home of Vanderpump Rules and the Real Housewives franchise:
Confidentiality clauses are standard practice in reality programming to prevent disclosure of storylines prior to air. They are not intended to prevent disclosure by cast and crew of unlawful acts in the workplace, and they have not been enforced in that manner. To be clear: any current or former...
- 8/25/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Bravo is clapping back at accusations that the network silences its reality stars with non-disclosure agreements, after its parent company NBCUniversal received multiple letters warning legal action due to its mistreatment of unscripted talent.
The spotlight has brightened on the conglomerate’s treatment of its reality stars after “Real Housewives of New York City” alum Bethenny Frankel began to call for her former peers to unionize amid Hollywood’s historic double strike.
“Confidentiality clauses are standard practice in reality programming to prevent disclosure of storylines prior to air. They are not intended to prevent disclosure by cast and crew of unlawful acts in the workplace, and they have not been enforced in that manner,” a spokesperson for Bravo said in a statement to TheWrap.
“To be clear,” the statement continued. “Any current or former cast or crew is free to discuss and disclose any allegedly unlawful acts in the workplace,...
The spotlight has brightened on the conglomerate’s treatment of its reality stars after “Real Housewives of New York City” alum Bethenny Frankel began to call for her former peers to unionize amid Hollywood’s historic double strike.
“Confidentiality clauses are standard practice in reality programming to prevent disclosure of storylines prior to air. They are not intended to prevent disclosure by cast and crew of unlawful acts in the workplace, and they have not been enforced in that manner,” a spokesperson for Bravo said in a statement to TheWrap.
“To be clear,” the statement continued. “Any current or former cast or crew is free to discuss and disclose any allegedly unlawful acts in the workplace,...
- 8/25/2023
- by Jose Alejandro Bastidas
- The Wrap
After multiple legal letters have been sent to NBCUniversal regarding the treatment of the company’s reality stars — a fight that was kickstarted by former “Real Housewives” star Bethenny Frankel — Bravo is firing back, by clarifying on the record that the network does not silence cast members through non-disclosure agreements.
Frankel has been vocal that she wants reality TV stars get better working conditions, payment, protections and possibly unionize. On Aug. 20, lawyers working with Frankel claimed that NBCUniversal holds reality stars and crew members to NDAs that prohibit them from discussing alleged mistreatment and has threatened them, should they speak out.
NBCUniversal says the company does not hold its reality stars or crew members to non-disclosure agreements for the purpose of forbidding them from speaking about their time working on shows, and does not prohibit them from reporting mistreatment. To clarify the purpose of their confidentiality agreements, a Bravo spokesperson...
Frankel has been vocal that she wants reality TV stars get better working conditions, payment, protections and possibly unionize. On Aug. 20, lawyers working with Frankel claimed that NBCUniversal holds reality stars and crew members to NDAs that prohibit them from discussing alleged mistreatment and has threatened them, should they speak out.
NBCUniversal says the company does not hold its reality stars or crew members to non-disclosure agreements for the purpose of forbidding them from speaking about their time working on shows, and does not prohibit them from reporting mistreatment. To clarify the purpose of their confidentiality agreements, a Bravo spokesperson...
- 8/25/2023
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
As the fall broadcast season approaches without a resolution of the writers and actors strikes, conventional wisdom suggests the networks may dial up their reality TV programming, just as they have during past strikes. But this time around, the unscripted genre is at an inflection point as it grapples with labor issues and NDAs.
Real Housewives alum Bethenny Frankel is encouraging reality performers to strike in solidarity and suggesting that they consider unionizing, while her lawyers are teeing up a fight with NBCUniversal on behalf of a so-far nameless coalition of cast and crew from Bravo, E! and CNBC series over alleged “grotesque” mistreatment and “draconian” nondisclosure agreements.
The two efforts have a theme in common — compensation and working conditions on reality series — but they don’t immediately seem that interconnected. Until you rewind 15 or so years, that is.
Reality TV exploded during the previous writers strike and, at that point,...
Real Housewives alum Bethenny Frankel is encouraging reality performers to strike in solidarity and suggesting that they consider unionizing, while her lawyers are teeing up a fight with NBCUniversal on behalf of a so-far nameless coalition of cast and crew from Bravo, E! and CNBC series over alleged “grotesque” mistreatment and “draconian” nondisclosure agreements.
The two efforts have a theme in common — compensation and working conditions on reality series — but they don’t immediately seem that interconnected. Until you rewind 15 or so years, that is.
Reality TV exploded during the previous writers strike and, at that point,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Ashley Cullins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Production on the latest season of the Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America has been shut down after around 50 crewmembers went on strike in a bid to have the project covered under an IATSE contract.
The work stoppage on the series — which puts hopeless cooks through a culinary skills course for a chance to win a $25,000 cash prize — began Wednesday after IATSE made an initial attempt to negotiate pay and benefits for the workers, which didn’t succeed. Crewmembers in the camera department, grip and electric and set decoration were all said to be involved in the work stoppage, a recognition strike that attempted to pressure management into recognizing a union as the workers’ collective bargaining representative.
The union, which represents tens of thousands of crewmembers in film and television, tweeted the news of the work stoppage Friday. “The crew of ‘Worst Cooks in America’ are on strike in...
The work stoppage on the series — which puts hopeless cooks through a culinary skills course for a chance to win a $25,000 cash prize — began Wednesday after IATSE made an initial attempt to negotiate pay and benefits for the workers, which didn’t succeed. Crewmembers in the camera department, grip and electric and set decoration were all said to be involved in the work stoppage, a recognition strike that attempted to pressure management into recognizing a union as the workers’ collective bargaining representative.
The union, which represents tens of thousands of crewmembers in film and television, tweeted the news of the work stoppage Friday. “The crew of ‘Worst Cooks in America’ are on strike in...
- 8/21/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hurricane Hilary has come and gone, yet NBCUniversal may be feeling drenched today in more fallout from its reality TV blockbusters such as Vanderpump Rules and the Real Housewives franchise.
Three weeks after lawyers for Bethenny Frankel’s move to unionize the unscripted genre sent their first blistering correspondence to the Comcast-owned media giant full of accusations of booze, sexual violence and the “grotesque and depraved mistreatment of the reality stars and crewmembers,” a Part 2 has shown up in EVP/General Counsel Kimberley D. Harris’ inbox – and it ain’t pretty.
“In the course of our investigation, we have not only confirmed the veracity of our initial allegations but have also discovered that the breadth and scope of your wrongdoing is greater than previously believed,” says attorney Bryan Freedman in an August 20 letter sent to the NBCU exec over shows on Bravo, CNBC, NBC and more (read the latest...
Three weeks after lawyers for Bethenny Frankel’s move to unionize the unscripted genre sent their first blistering correspondence to the Comcast-owned media giant full of accusations of booze, sexual violence and the “grotesque and depraved mistreatment of the reality stars and crewmembers,” a Part 2 has shown up in EVP/General Counsel Kimberley D. Harris’ inbox – and it ain’t pretty.
“In the course of our investigation, we have not only confirmed the veracity of our initial allegations but have also discovered that the breadth and scope of your wrongdoing is greater than previously believed,” says attorney Bryan Freedman in an August 20 letter sent to the NBCU exec over shows on Bravo, CNBC, NBC and more (read the latest...
- 8/21/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Lawyers representing reality stars and crew of NBCUniversal subsidiaries are calling out the “unlawful” NDAs imposed by the entertainment giant that “hide civil and criminal wrongs” that occurred on reality programs on NBC, Bravo Media, E! and CNBC.
“NBCUniversal has represented to the public that it requires its third-party production partners to comply with its own policies in an effort to stop harassment, discrimination, and other illegal conduct,” attorney Bryan Freedman wrote to NBCU’s general counsel in a letter obtained Monday by TheWrap. “Yet, for obvious reasons, it has turned a blind eye as these production partners enforce illegal nondisclosure agreements to hide civil and criminal wrongs.”
The letter, dated Aug. 20, alleged that the conglomerate’s “collective failure to comply with the law has caused hundreds or thousands of people to stay silent about unlawful workplace conduct they have witnessed or experienced, which has included: racism; sexism; sexual violence...
“NBCUniversal has represented to the public that it requires its third-party production partners to comply with its own policies in an effort to stop harassment, discrimination, and other illegal conduct,” attorney Bryan Freedman wrote to NBCU’s general counsel in a letter obtained Monday by TheWrap. “Yet, for obvious reasons, it has turned a blind eye as these production partners enforce illegal nondisclosure agreements to hide civil and criminal wrongs.”
The letter, dated Aug. 20, alleged that the conglomerate’s “collective failure to comply with the law has caused hundreds or thousands of people to stay silent about unlawful workplace conduct they have witnessed or experienced, which has included: racism; sexism; sexual violence...
- 8/21/2023
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
The cadre of reality stars and crew alleging they’ve experienced or witnessed “grotesque and depraved” mistreatment on NBCUniversal’s reality television series is demanding to be released from nondisclosure agreements.
After earlier this month warning the company that a “day of reckoning” was coming for its reality TV empire, attorneys for the still unnamed cast and crew from series on Bravo, E! and CNBC now say their ongoing investigation into allegations has already uncovered serious issues, but that the extent of the claims won’t be clear until the company releases people from their NDAs.
“We are left with the inescapable conclusion that NBC and its production partners are grappling with systemic rot for which sunlight is the first necessary remedial measure,” writes attorney Bryan Freedman in a letter to NBCU’s general counsel dated Aug. 20. “To date, that has been impossible owing to the draconian terms of NBC...
After earlier this month warning the company that a “day of reckoning” was coming for its reality TV empire, attorneys for the still unnamed cast and crew from series on Bravo, E! and CNBC now say their ongoing investigation into allegations has already uncovered serious issues, but that the extent of the claims won’t be clear until the company releases people from their NDAs.
“We are left with the inescapable conclusion that NBC and its production partners are grappling with systemic rot for which sunlight is the first necessary remedial measure,” writes attorney Bryan Freedman in a letter to NBCU’s general counsel dated Aug. 20. “To date, that has been impossible owing to the draconian terms of NBC...
- 8/21/2023
- by Ashley Cullins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lisa Vanderpump says that she’s “very happy with what I’ve been paid over the years” and that she’s “not sure” about how a union can represent “people that are normally plucked out of obscurity.”
The Vanderpump Rules star and executive producer shared her opinion, weighing in on the Bethenny Frankel-sparked effort to unionize reality TV, during the most recent episode of Los Angeles Times’ The Envelope podcast, which released on Thursday.
“I’ve been a producer now for 11 years. I’m thankful to the network, thankful for the opportunities and chances that they’ve given me,” Vanderpump said. “So, I don’t know, advocating for a reality star union. I’m not sure about that. I’m really not.”
Vanderpump, who first starred on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills before spinning off into other Bravo unscripted series, said her stance on unionization is driven in part...
The Vanderpump Rules star and executive producer shared her opinion, weighing in on the Bethenny Frankel-sparked effort to unionize reality TV, during the most recent episode of Los Angeles Times’ The Envelope podcast, which released on Thursday.
“I’ve been a producer now for 11 years. I’m thankful to the network, thankful for the opportunities and chances that they’ve given me,” Vanderpump said. “So, I don’t know, advocating for a reality star union. I’m not sure about that. I’m really not.”
Vanderpump, who first starred on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills before spinning off into other Bravo unscripted series, said her stance on unionization is driven in part...
- 8/17/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Real Housewives” star Bethenny Frankel just got a powerful new ally in her push for reality TV performers to unionize and join the actors on the picket lines: SAG-AFTRA.
The guild said Thursday that it has spoken with Frankel’s attorney, entertainment lawyer Bryan Freedman, about the treatment of reality performers, and said the other performers Freedman represents can indeed be covered under the guild’s Network Code Agreement.
“We stand ready to assist Bethenny Frankel, Bryan Freedman, and Mark Geragos along with reality performers and our members in the fight and are tired of studios and production companies trying to circumvent the Union in order to exploit the talent that they rely upon to make their product,” the guild wrote in an official statement. “We encourage any reality performers and/or members to reach out to SAG-AFTRA’s Entertainment Contracts Department so that we may work together toward the...
The guild said Thursday that it has spoken with Frankel’s attorney, entertainment lawyer Bryan Freedman, about the treatment of reality performers, and said the other performers Freedman represents can indeed be covered under the guild’s Network Code Agreement.
“We stand ready to assist Bethenny Frankel, Bryan Freedman, and Mark Geragos along with reality performers and our members in the fight and are tired of studios and production companies trying to circumvent the Union in order to exploit the talent that they rely upon to make their product,” the guild wrote in an official statement. “We encourage any reality performers and/or members to reach out to SAG-AFTRA’s Entertainment Contracts Department so that we may work together toward the...
- 8/10/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
SAG-AFTRA announced in a statement on Thursday morning that it is throwing its support behind “Real Housewives” star Bethenny Frankel in her efforts to gain better union protection for reality TV performers.
“SAG-AFTRA is the Union that represents reality performers. Depending on the structure of the production and the performers involved, we can cover these performers under our Network Code Agreement,” the guild said in a statement.
The guild also said that it is has been in contact with Frankel’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, and is offering its services to any reality performer that is “tired of studios and production companies trying to circumvent the Union in order to exploit the talent that they rely upon to make their product.”
“We encourage any reality performers and/or members to reach out to SAG-AFTRA’s Entertainment Contracts Department so that we may work together toward the protection of the reality performers...
“SAG-AFTRA is the Union that represents reality performers. Depending on the structure of the production and the performers involved, we can cover these performers under our Network Code Agreement,” the guild said in a statement.
The guild also said that it is has been in contact with Frankel’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, and is offering its services to any reality performer that is “tired of studios and production companies trying to circumvent the Union in order to exploit the talent that they rely upon to make their product.”
“We encourage any reality performers and/or members to reach out to SAG-AFTRA’s Entertainment Contracts Department so that we may work together toward the protection of the reality performers...
- 8/10/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
SAG-AFTRA, which covers the hosts but not the contestants on reality TV competition shows, said today that it’s working “toward the protection of the reality performers” in an effort to end “the exploitative practices that have developed in this area” and “to engage in a new path to union coverage.”
“We are tired of studios and production companies trying to circumvent the union in order to exploit the talent that they rely upon to make their product,” the guild said.
The announcement comes after Bethenny Frankel, a former star of The Real Housewives of New York City, suggested that reality performers should go on strike in order to win residuals for their work and to combat abuses in the workplace. Reality show hosts, but not contestants, are covered by the guild’s Network Code, which is not part of its strike against films and scripted TV shows.
Related: ‘Big Brother...
“We are tired of studios and production companies trying to circumvent the union in order to exploit the talent that they rely upon to make their product,” the guild said.
The announcement comes after Bethenny Frankel, a former star of The Real Housewives of New York City, suggested that reality performers should go on strike in order to win residuals for their work and to combat abuses in the workplace. Reality show hosts, but not contestants, are covered by the guild’s Network Code, which is not part of its strike against films and scripted TV shows.
Related: ‘Big Brother...
- 8/10/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
After Real Housewives star Bethenny Frankel called for reality performers to also stop working amid the writers and actors strikes to protest their own treatment and lack of residuals, SAG-AFTRA is stepping up to offer its help.
The conversation started when Frankel posted a video to her Instagram on July 19 asking, “Why isn’t reality TV on strike?” The reality star and entrepreneur said she had only been paid $7,250 for her “first season of reality TV,” and claimed she had “never made a single residual” from her time on various reality series as an onscreen talent. She said, “Either I’m missing something or we’re getting screwed, too.”
She then called for reality stars to stop filming “until their free content is [taken] down,” arguing that networks and streamers shouldn’t be able to continue profiting from stars without acknowledging the cultural and financial impact of series like The Hills,...
The conversation started when Frankel posted a video to her Instagram on July 19 asking, “Why isn’t reality TV on strike?” The reality star and entrepreneur said she had only been paid $7,250 for her “first season of reality TV,” and claimed she had “never made a single residual” from her time on various reality series as an onscreen talent. She said, “Either I’m missing something or we’re getting screwed, too.”
She then called for reality stars to stop filming “until their free content is [taken] down,” arguing that networks and streamers shouldn’t be able to continue profiting from stars without acknowledging the cultural and financial impact of series like The Hills,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Ashley Cullins and Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NBCUniversal’s general counsel on Thursday received a letter from top Hollywood lawyers alleging that “a day of reckoning” is coming because of the “sordid and dark underbelly” of the media giant’s reality television empire.
According to the letter, veteran entertainment attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos together represent “a significant number” of people employed by or contracted with Bravo Media, E! and CNBC, specifically “current and former cast members and crewmembers on some of NBC’s most lucrative reality TV shows.” (No specific individuals are named.)
Bethenny Frankel — one of the Real Housewives franchise breakouts — is said to be working with them and has called for reality TV stars to unionize amid the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
The letter alleges that cast members are fueled with alcohol while being deprived of food and sleep, denied mental health treatment and trapped in their series even under “dire circumstances.”
The...
According to the letter, veteran entertainment attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos together represent “a significant number” of people employed by or contracted with Bravo Media, E! and CNBC, specifically “current and former cast members and crewmembers on some of NBC’s most lucrative reality TV shows.” (No specific individuals are named.)
Bethenny Frankel — one of the Real Housewives franchise breakouts — is said to be working with them and has called for reality TV stars to unionize amid the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
The letter alleges that cast members are fueled with alcohol while being deprived of food and sleep, denied mental health treatment and trapped in their series even under “dire circumstances.”
The...
- 8/4/2023
- by Ashley Cullins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NBCUniversal and its subsidiaries Bravo Media, E! and CNBC stand accused of a “pattern and practice of grotesque and depraved mistreatment” against the talent and crews of their numerous hit reality series, according to a letter sent Thursday to the media conglomerate’s legal team.
“These individuals have been mentally, physically, and financially victimized by NBC and threatened 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 read. “Please be advised that the day of reckoning has arrived.”
The letter, sent to NBCUniversal’s general counsel Kimberley Harris from attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, warned the company to hold onto any relevant records “until further notice” as potential legal action looms.
In the letter, Freedman and Geragos included a detailed list...
“These individuals have been mentally, physically, and financially victimized by NBC and threatened 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 read. “Please be advised that the day of reckoning has arrived.”
The letter, sent to NBCUniversal’s general counsel Kimberley Harris from attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, warned the company to hold onto any relevant records “until further notice” as potential legal action looms.
In the letter, Freedman and Geragos included a detailed list...
- 8/4/2023
- by Jose Alejandro Bastidas
- The Wrap
(Updated, 1:10 Pm with NBCU statement) In Hollywood’s current labor climate, Bethenny Frankel’s desire for a reality TV stars union may seem like a sideshow. However, as NBCUniversal learned this week, the Real Housewives vet and her lawyers want to put the matter centerstage.
“Please be advised that the day of reckoning has arrived,” exclaims a distinctly not understated letter sent on August 3 to NBCU top in-house lawyer Kimberley Harris from attorney Bryan Freedman in conjunction with fellow lawyer Mark Geragos (read it here).
Advising the Comcast EVP and NBCU General Counsel that they are representing a “significant number of individuals” from the so-called unscripted space, the attorneys blast the media giant for alleged “grotesque and depraved mistreatment of the reality stars and crewmembers.” They pound the drum even harder with affirmations that the “sordid and dark underbelly of NBC’s widely consumed reality TV universe has remained...
“Please be advised that the day of reckoning has arrived,” exclaims a distinctly not understated letter sent on August 3 to NBCU top in-house lawyer Kimberley Harris from attorney Bryan Freedman in conjunction with fellow lawyer Mark Geragos (read it here).
Advising the Comcast EVP and NBCU General Counsel that they are representing a “significant number of individuals” from the so-called unscripted space, the attorneys blast the media giant for alleged “grotesque and depraved mistreatment of the reality stars and crewmembers.” They pound the drum even harder with affirmations that the “sordid and dark underbelly of NBC’s widely consumed reality TV universe has remained...
- 8/4/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Bethenny Frankel is aiming to make massive changes in the world of reality TV.
The “Real Housewives of New York City” alum, 52, who recently roasted Meghan Markle and Prince Harry again on TikTok, has teamed up with two of the most high-profile attorneys in Hollywood in a conquest to help protect reality stars from exploitation by studios and networks.
Power courtroom players Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos are joining her on her journey.
Speaking with Variety in an article published on Friday, Geragos explained that after meeting with 50 reality show cast members from various networks and series’, he realized: “Something has to change because the current system is broken.”
Read More: Bethenny Frankel Voices Support For ‘Punching Bag’ Raquel Leviss To Negotiate Her Bravo Salary
Frankel’s fight for justice in the spotlight comes along during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, which isn’t putting a halt to reality television, creating...
The “Real Housewives of New York City” alum, 52, who recently roasted Meghan Markle and Prince Harry again on TikTok, has teamed up with two of the most high-profile attorneys in Hollywood in a conquest to help protect reality stars from exploitation by studios and networks.
Power courtroom players Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos are joining her on her journey.
Speaking with Variety in an article published on Friday, Geragos explained that after meeting with 50 reality show cast members from various networks and series’, he realized: “Something has to change because the current system is broken.”
Read More: Bethenny Frankel Voices Support For ‘Punching Bag’ Raquel Leviss To Negotiate Her Bravo Salary
Frankel’s fight for justice in the spotlight comes along during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, which isn’t putting a halt to reality television, creating...
- 7/29/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
Bethenny Frankel has enlisted two of the most high-profile attorneys in Hollywood to help in her self-proclaimed fight to help protect reality stars from what she says is exploitation by networks and studios.
Power players Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos are now working alongside Frankel to investigate the treatment of reality stars.
Freedman tells me that he has heard from roughly 50 reality show cast members from various docuseries and competition shows who believe that they were “used and unfairly” treated by television networks and streamers.
“Something has to change because the current system is broken,” Geragos says.
Frankel’s quest comes amid the writers and actors strike that has effectively shut down Hollywood. Reality TV can still be produced during the double strike, and most networks will be heavily relying on unscripted programming this fall. But Frankel — one of the most prominent personalities to come from Bravo’s “Real Housewives...
Power players Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos are now working alongside Frankel to investigate the treatment of reality stars.
Freedman tells me that he has heard from roughly 50 reality show cast members from various docuseries and competition shows who believe that they were “used and unfairly” treated by television networks and streamers.
“Something has to change because the current system is broken,” Geragos says.
Frankel’s quest comes amid the writers and actors strike that has effectively shut down Hollywood. Reality TV can still be produced during the double strike, and most networks will be heavily relying on unscripted programming this fall. But Frankel — one of the most prominent personalities to come from Bravo’s “Real Housewives...
- 7/28/2023
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
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