To quote Bethenny Frankel … yeah, it’s bad. Like the hosts achieving self-awareness and rising up in Westworld, the Bravo-lebrities have had enough and they’re fighting back. On August 3, entertainment lawyers Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos sent what “Page Six†calls a “strongly worded letter†to NBCUniversal’s general counsel, Kimberley Harris, accusing the company of “a pattern and practice of grotesque and depraved mistreatment of the reality stars and crew members on whose account its coffers swell.†The letter states that these individuals have been “threatened with ruin†to stay quiet and not speak out against their alleged physical, mental, and financial victimization.
The legal counsel state that they are undergoing an investigation into the “sordid and dark underbelly†of NBCUniversal’s reality series and have “reason to believe†claims of mistreatment, which range from “deliberate attempts to manufacture mental instability by plying cast members with alcohol while depriving them of food and sleep†and “denying mental health treatment to cast members displaying obvious and alarming signs of mental deterioration†to “distributing and/or condoning distribution of nonconsensual pornography†and “covering up acts of sexual violence.†There are also claims of false imprisonment and revenge porn.
But, to play devil’s advocate, don’t reality stars “know what they’re signing up forâ€? The letter accounts for this, saying that NBCUniversal has still “exceeded the moral and legal limits permissible in a civilized society governed by the rule of law.†The letter demands that NBCUniversal does not delete any electronically held evidence that may prove relevant if this goes to litigation, which Freedman and Geragos imply is likely, writing, “Please be advised that the day of reckoning has arrived.â€
On August 20, another letter was sent to Bravo executive Kimberley D. Harris, this time around their “draconian†NDAs their stars must sign to be on their shows. It states that its nondisclosure agreements are illegal under California law, claiming that their agreements are not enforceable as it does not include language to protect its stars from reporting unlawful acts in the workplace. They call for stars to be released from their NDAs and in the same letter, they also claim that their allegations from earlier this month were “greater than previously believed.â€
A Bravo spokesperson later claimed in a statement to Vulture that its NDAs are only intended to protect plot and story lines before 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,†the statement reads. “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.†According to the statement, Bravo is working with third-party production companies to remind cast and crew that they are encouraged to report any such concerns.
While no specific cast and crew members are named in either letter to Bravo, Variety reported that Frankel, a former Real Housewives of New York City cast member, retained Freedman and Geragos in July to fight for reality stars’ protection against exploitation. She’s emerged as a leader in the movement calling for reality-TV workers to unionize for rights like residuals. “SAG-AFTRA reached out to me,†Frankel said, recounting her meeting with the actors union on the podcast Literally! with Rob Lowe on August 31. “And, while we’re talking about a union and what that would look like, they also want to know in the short term what they could do to help. And I was saying there should be some language, some contract language that goes into these contracts that everybody in reality knows to include. Like, they can’t just exploit people with these unrealistic NDAs. So it’s a very complicated thing I walked myself into whilst also burning bridges and seeming like I’m biting the hand that fed me, but I fed myself. There are a lot of people who didn’t get fed.â€
According to Frankel, her effort to unionize reality-TV stars has rankled her industry colleagues. “I can tell you with great certainty that everyone at Bravo likely despises me, including Andy Cohen, because it’s very personal and because they have to protect the realm,†she told the podcast. While her messaging has been mostly about financial analogs to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes — “Right now, during this strike, they’re going to be the ones that everybody goes to for cheap labor,†she noted — Freedman said he had spoken with around 50 cast members about being “used and unfairly†treated by networks and streamers.
In other news from the Bravo-verse, Meredith Marks launched her own line of caviar this month. Erin Lichy has yet to comment.
This post has been updated.