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Even though America’s Got Talent hasn’t aired the first episode of its 12th season (the season premiere is Tuesday, May 30), the NBC show is already making headlines – and it’s not because of an old man performing scream-o metal or anyone named Tape Face.
After taking over hosting duties of the popular summer series after Nick Cannon’s abrupt departure, Tyra Banks has already generated some controversy of her own. The 43-year-old model/actress is named in a lawsuit against Marathon Productions (the company responsible for producing AGT) filed by a contestant on the show, alleging that her daughter was “traumatized” after being “physically manipulated and verbally abused” by Tyra.
In the 18-page lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday, the plaintiff, simply referred to as Jane Doe, alleged that during the taping of one of the show’s audition episodes on March 19, her daughter, “Mary,” was subject to treatment that left her “deeply depressed.”
The suit alleges that during Jane’s performance of an original song with her husband, show producers told Mary “to act embarrassed and annoyed by her parents’ performance.” The song, which the couple wrote about motherhood and the birth of their daughter was a “bond among the members of her family.” Jane alleged the song was “especially favored” by Mary.
I’ve not heard the song, but I have a sneaking suspicion it probably wasn’t very good. And, with what happened next, I think I might be right. After the performance, Jane alleged that Tyra not only insinuated that the child was accidentally conceived, she also “shook Mary’s shoulder, pulled Mary’s hair back and physically manipulated Mary.” The suit goes on to say that “Mary did not stop Banks’ conduct because Mary was fearful.” After the incident, Jane said that Mary was still experiencing PTSD-like symptoms when recalling the event, stating:
[She] would become extremely nervous and anxious whenever, among other triggering events, she hears any mentions of [the] song and [the] song itself, whenever she ruminates about the events during or related to the performance.
And, if all of this wasn’t bad enough, the suit claims that the producers obtained signed release forms from the daughter without her mother’s consent. AGT later did agree not to air any of the footage of Mary with Tyra backstage (where the alleged assault took place), but they still may air the couple’s on-stage performance of the song.
Jane is claiming intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress along with civil battery and civil assault and is pushing for a jury trial to settle the matter.
Woof. I am a fan of America’s Got Talent, and I’ve heard some backstage tales that lend some credence to what Jane is alleging about some of the unsavory methods employed by the producers, but if Tyra did what Jane is claiming she did, she may have the shortest tenure as an AGT host ever. Of course, we haven’t seen any footage of the incident, so Jane could be blowing the physical abuse part of the suit out of proportion. Watching this play out may be more exciting that the whole season of AGT, well, unless they bring back Piff the Magic Dragon.
Photos: Getty Images, WENN.com
Source: celebitchy.com
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