Two ex Love Island USA producers, Jasmine Crestwell and Alex Rinks, are suing NBCUniversal, who owns Peacock, and ITV Studios.
The lawsuit makes multiple allegations including race and gender discrimination, retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination, harassment and retaliation, whistleblower retaliation and wrongful termination.
The court documents, obtained by RadarOnline, saw allegations centred around some producers who would “watch the cast shower despite being told not to”, and even made alleged comments about one contestant’s boobs.
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According to RadarOnline, one statement in the lawsuit read: ” Although Islanders are entertainers, they are also employees who rely exclusively on Producers for food, shelter, and safety throughout production.
(Image: Sara Mally/PEACOCK)
“Islanders work on set with crew members who work long hours without the promise of fame or publicity, and likewise rely on Producers for a safe and non-discriminatory work environment.”
Crestwell and Rinks claimed the show struggled to connect with audiences while on CBS and moved to NBC for its fourth and fifth seasons.
The producers stated in order to boost ratings for the US franchise, they hired producers from the UK.
But they claimed that while on location, they grew concerned by the show’s labour practices.
(Image: ITV)
Rinks stated in the documents that she complained about alleged unsafe and unsanitary conditions with toilets which were “rarely cleaned” and showers which were “clogged and overflowing”.
Crestwell said she complained about the alleged mistreatment of islanders, particularly a black female contestant named Sereniti Springs.
It was claimed from the first day of filming, one contestant was prevented from making connections with male cast members, adding claims that one producer said on an internal walkie system “don’t let Sereniti talk to any men”.
It was also claimed that producers “openly commented on video feeds of female islanders showering and having sex”.
(Image: Peacock)
Producers were instructed not to watch the footage, but the court documents allege that “certain producers disregarded this instruction and not only watched this intimate footage but discussed it openly on set, including by making disparaging comments about female contestants’ bodies”.
They added: “ For instance, one Producer watched streams of nude female contestants and directed a female Producer to “look at her t**s,” and commenting that a cast member’s “boob job” made her “boobs look too hard.”
It was also claimed that executive producers pressured female islanders to engage in sexual relationships without regard for their personal preferences.
Crestwell and Rinks claimed they made their particular grievances about Springs known during a meeting on July 25, 2022, and two days later they were wrongfully terminated.
Daily Star has approached NBC and ITV for comment.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
