Another Jersey Shore Lawsuit Involving Brawl Cover-Up
The MTV reality show "Jersey Shore" faces another lawsuit. Of course, it's no surprise that this lawsuit also involves a fight between cast members and outsiders.
And surprise, surprise. Guess who's involved in this fight, too? You guessed it, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro.
MTV is named in a lawsuit, along with 495 Productions, Viacom and cast member Ronnie Ortiz-Magro.
According to TMZ, Ronnie and Sammie "Sweetheart" Giancola allegedly exchanged some rough words with a couple on the Seaside Heights boardwalk. The couple, J.T. and K.P., are now suing MTV, claiming that the footage aired by MTV was not accurate. The couple is also attempting to vitiate the contract release that MTV had them sign, claiming that they were clearly intoxicated at the time.
J.T. and K.P. claim that they have their own footage to prove their allegations. The couple offers a DVD which they claim contains raw, unedited footage showing Ronnie and Sammi antagonizing them with homophobic slurs and various other insults.
The episode, as it airs, shows a passerby insulting the two cast members as they walked on the boardwalk. Sammi then responds and an altercation ensues.
In another lawsuit, as mentioned previously in this blog, a fight ensued between Ronnie and a man at a club. In that lawsuit, the man sought an injunction, barring release of the DVD showing the fight, claiming that the airing and editing of the show portrayed him as the aggressor.
Although similar claims are being made in this situation, where the two plaintiffs claim that the footage was edited in a manner so as to "cover up" what really happened, it is as yet unknown whether the suit seeks injunctive relief.
The reality show chronicles the lives of a group of party-loving 20-somethings living in the same house on a New Jersey beach.
The current Jersey Shore lawsuit sues for an unspecified amount.
[Editor's note, 8/31/2011: To comply with a court order, this blog post was edited to reflect only the victim's initials.]
Related Resources:
- MTV Sued over Alleged 'Jersey Shore' Cover-Up (TMZ)
- MTV Sued over Alleged 'Jersey Shore' Brawl Cover-Up (Fox News)
- Judge: Jersey Shore DVD Not Blocked From Sale (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- Aggravated Assault, New Jersey (provided by Iler Law Firm)