Bethenny Frankel’s lawyer: More reality stars are joining ‘abuse’ legal war
Some of the biggest stars in reality TV are planning to join an “abuse” lawsuit threat spearheaded by Bethenny Frankel, Page Six is told.
Frankel, 52, is believed to have enlisted around 80 reality show cast members in her fight against Bravo and its parent company NBC Universal.
Her lawyer, Hollywood legal eagle Bryan Freedman, would not name names — yet — but told us: “NBC, Bravo and its agents have wrongfully silenced even the most famous of these reality performers and continue to do so today.
“Their stories are horrific and in due time will be made public.”
A source familiar with the suit told Page Six: “They got these performers wasted on national TV, there has been revenge porn, they have illegally filmed people having sex — and they are trying to keep people silent.
“You will definitely know their names.”
Page Six previously reported that “Real Housewives of New York CIty” vet Frankel has enlisted pals from various “Housewife” franchises, as well as other Bravo shows, to join her suit.
Freedman and fellow lawyer Mark Geragos fired off a legal threat to NBCUniversal’s General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation, Kimberley Harris, earlier this month.
The letter accused NBC and Bravo of making “deliberate attempts” to “manufacture mental instability” by plying 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.”
NBCUniversal last week hit back after Freedman accused the company of refusing to let reality stars break their nondisclosure agreements in order to reveal their alleged mistreatment.
According to Freedman, this is in breach of a California law that prohibits companies from forcing employees to sign documents that would deny them from disclosing “unlawful acts in the workplace.”
But a Bravo spokesperson told Page Six that, although confidentiality agreements are standard practice, current or former cast or crew members member are “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 Bravo rep also stressed that the network requires third-party production companies to provide cast and crew with multiple ways to report workplace misconduct.
However, Freedman on Wednesday called this a “bald-faced lie,” adding, “NBCU is a party to NDAs which specifically restrict disclosure of anything that occurs during the person’s employment. This clearly includes any illegal activity witnessed or experienced on set.”
“This restriction is enforced through a draconian penalty of $500,000 per violation for individuals making $28,000 or less,” Freedman told Page Six. “They can say whatever they want to but restrictions are actually in writing and are clearly intended to silence reality performers, producers, and crew members. “
Geragos called it a “concocted explanation” and a “transparent effort to try to insulate themselves from their obvious illegal actions… This is all in response to NBCU/Bravo response to my demand that they release reality performers from their illegal NDAs.”
A Bravo spokesperson said the network stands by its previous statement.
