Bethenny Frankel’s reality show union movement makes waves, prepares to sue Bravo

NBCUniversal is about to get a dose of reality. After Real Housewives alum Bethenny Frankel proposed the idea of a reality star union, she reportedly retained the services of Hollywood attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos. In short order, Freedman and Geragos have made big moves against the parent company that hosts Bravo and the E! Network, sending a letter outlining offenses perpetrated against its reality show talent and threatening legal action on their behalf.

Freedman and Geragos are representing a “significant number of individuals,” according to the letter (which can be read in full over at Deadline). “These individuals have been mentally, physically, and financially victimized by NBC and threatened with ruin should they decide to speak out about their mistreatment. As a result, the sordid and dark underbelly of NBC’s widely consumed reality TV universe has remained under wraps for far too long,” the letter reads. “Please be advised that the day of reckoning has arrived.”

The letter accuses the company of a number of violations, which “includes, but is not limited to:

• 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 nonconsensual pornography.
• Covering up acts of sexual violence.
• Refusing to allow cast members the freedom to leave their shows, even under dire circumstances.”

Preempting those that might argue the reality stars sign up for their own exploitation, the attorneys state that “On innumerable occasions, which we will further detail in due course, NBC has exceeded the moral and legal limits permissible in a civilized society governed by the rule of law. Undoubtedly, when fully apprised, the legal system—and the public—will agree.”

This letter serves as the first warning shot in what will no doubt be a long and involved battle. Still, it could represent a game changing moment for reality television, setting an industry-wide precedent for how to treat reality talent. Reality is an extremely lucrative industry, and becomes even more important when the writers strike has knocked scripted programming off the schedule. As many have already said, “hot labor summer” is proving to be an inflection point in the entertainment industry. When this lawsuit is filed, all eyes will most certainly be on the proceedings to see just how transformational it turns out to be.