Former 'Storage Wars' star sues A&E, says reality show is fake By Lisa de Moraes
Last month, when Radar reported that A&E's grumpy "Storage Wars" bidder David Hester was not being asked back for Season 4 - because producers got wind of fakery allegations and decided Hester was at the root of them - it was widely speculated in TV circles that this would wind up in court. It has wound up in court. Former "Storage Wars" star Dave Hester in Costa Mesa, Calif. (Jeremy Cowart - AP) Hester's camp claims that its client was axed when he complained to producers about alleged rigging, according to the suit, which was given to the TV industry publication of record, TMZ. "A&E has committed a fraud on the public and its television audience in violation of the Communications Act of 1934, which makes it illegal for broadcasters to rig a contest of intellectual skill with the intent to deceive the viewing public," Hester's suit claims. "A&E regularly plants valuable items or memorabilia," it continues. In the lawsuit, Hester also claims that the producer has gone "so far as to stage entire storage units." Among Hester's claims: A BMW was buried under a pile of trash in one locker; old newspapers announcing the death of Elvis Presley were planted in another. "When [Hester] complained to producers that A&E's fraudulent conduct of salting and staging the storage lockers was possibly illegal, he was fired from the series," the suit alleged. Hester's wrongful-termination suit was filed in Superior Court in Los Angeles. He also claims that the show gave less-pretty regulars money for plastic surgery to make them more appealing (which hardly seems worth mentioning). "We do not comment on pending litigation," a rep for A&E told The TV Column on Tuesday. http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2012/12/storage-wars-locks-out-dav e-hester-new-episodes http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/tv-column/post/former-storage-wars-s tar-sues-aande-says-reality-show-is-fake/2012/12/11/dd383ef4-43ee-11e2-9 648-a2c323a991d6_blog.html _______________________________________________ Please be sure to include a URL to the article. Reply to the sender with a "Thank you" if you like this post. _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
