Kathy Salem claims she was verbally abused by cast members of 'Shahs of Sunset' when attending a party which was taped for possible inclusion in the upcoming Seacrest-produced show.
- November 18, 2011
AceShowbiz -
Ryan Seacrest and Bravo have been slapped with lawsuit in relation to the production of their not-yet-airing reality show. Kathy Salem, who joined the taping of "Shahs of Sunset", is suing the producer and the network after she was allegedly humiliated and abused by cast members of the show.
Salem claims she was invited to a July party which was said to be taped for possible inclusion in the show, which has been described as a Persian "Jersey Shore". Once she got inside the bash, she was allegedly targeted by two cast members, who began to bully her in attempt to create drama for the show.
"What developed was a bullying session wherein [the cast members] became verbally abusive to plaintiff and addressed her in an obscene manner," so reads the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, November 17. "Then, after the verbal abuse, someone tried to strip plaintiff's top off and another cast member by the name of Reza threw a cup of water in plaintiff's face."
In the complaint, Salem says she was "forced" to play the role of a "bad girl" at the party. She additionally claims she signed a one-page cover sheet of a release to allow the airing of her footage, but "did not understand that she might be blindsided and forced against her will to play a demeaning and humiliating role in an episode of Shahs of Sunset."
Salem is demanding that the footage featuring her is not aired on the series, and is seeking at least $100,000 in damages. Seacrest's and Bravo's camps have not released any statement regarding the lawsuit.
"Shahs of Sunset" is set to premiere in February 2012. The reality series will follow the lives of young, rich Persians on the west side of Los Angeles.
