Viacom is getting sued by a background extra after getting injured on ‘World’s Worst Tenants’ TV series.
According to deadline, on Spike‘s ‘World’s Worst Tenants‘ a background extras is claiming assault and battery and negligence. Josh Frager says he broke his collarbone after being shoved by the series star Todd Howard, an ex-Marine who on the show is a “professional evictor, which is like a bouncer who stands guard at a rental properties instead of nightclubs.”
In Joshua Frager‘s lawsuit he says that in January 2013, he was a background extras on Season 2 episode of Worst Tenants when it was filming in Pasadena, California.
Frager says he “was asked by Defendants through their agents/employees to fake a fall. Plaintiff is not a trained stunt person. During filming, the star of the show Howard forcefully pushed Plaintiff backwards to trigger the fall and as a result Plaintiff fell down the slope of the mountain on which the filming was taking place breaking his collar-bone, injuring his arm and suffering other injuries to his person including soft-tissue injuries, bruising and lacerations.”
This is the third lawsuit in the last three months involving a reality star allegedly roughing someone up on set. Lifetime’s ‘Dance Moms‘ star Abby Lee Miller is getting sued for assault and defamation from fellow cast member over a brawl.
“the producers of the show [Collins Avenue Entertainment], in an effort to attract ratings and viewership, encourage and facilitate conflicts between Miller on the one hand and the young girl dancers and their mothers on the other.[via]”
On Spike TV’s ‘Bar Rescue‘ a doctor was set up by producers of the show to hit on the show’s host, Jon Taffer’s wife. The doctor was later attacked by the Taffer.
Dr. Paul Wilkes is seeking general, actual and punitive damages as well as medical and legal expenses, pain and suffering and “other and further relief as the Court many deem just and proper”
Reality shows are always accused of being fake, but these several lawsuits do show that there are real consequences for roughing someone up on set.
Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.