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Welp… looks like something in the water ain’t clean over at NBC.
Reality stars are calling out the media conglomerate, claiming that they have been subjected to “grotesque and depraved mistreatment.”
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In a letter obtained by TMZ, attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos say that their clients, identified as current and former cast and crew members of reality shows, have been tormented.
The letter specifically states that these are individuals employed by or contracted with Bravo, E!, and CNBC.
Among the allegations, as reported by TMZ:
- 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
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In regard to the pornography claim, the attorneys mentioned “distribution of revenge porn,” but didn’t elaborate.
The letter also claims that NBC threatened individuals “with ruin” if they chose to speak out.
This comes after two former Bravo stars have spoken out about exploitation at the network.
As you recall, former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Nene Leakes sued Bravo a few years back, alleging that she wasn’t receiving fair treatment due to her race. (The suit was dropped last year.)
She reflected on her treatment during a recent interview with Carlos King’s Reality With The King podcast. “All I ever wanted on this show was to be treated fairly,” she said. “And a lot of girls and the people that work on the show and behind the scenes know that there were things that were just not fair at all.”
RELATED: 7 Things We Learned From Part Two of Carlos King And Nene Leakes ‘Reality With The King’ Podcast Interview
Most recently, another former Housewife, NY’s Bethenny Frankel, put out a call for reality stars to unionize, telling Variety, “Just because you can exploit young, doe-eyed talent desperate for the platform TV gives them, it doesn’t mean you should.”
At press time, NBC has not commented on the matter.
