*A contestant on “America’s Got Talent” says her performance at a recent taping was roasted so viciously by new host Tyra Banks that it has caused emotional distress to her young daughter, who was watching from the wings.
The woman, identified in the filing as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit against Banks on Tuesday in L.A. Superior Court accusing the former model of battery and assault, and seeking damages for infliction of emotional distress, reports Variety.
Jane Doe says she and her husband were performing an ode to their daughter, identified as Mary, during a taping on March 19. Once they finished, the woman says that she and her husband were “humiliated” by the judges and the audience, who criticized the song.
According to the suit, Banks added to the humiliation by making fun of the song in front of Mary. Jane Doe alleges that Banks pulled her daughter’s hair back, physically manipulated her, and insinuated that the girl was accidentally conceived.
Afterward, “Mary was traumatized and became deeply depressed,” the suit states. “Mary 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 whenever she thinks about the prospective televised airing or use online of Jane Doe and her husband, their performance, as well as the airing and use online of any footages of Mary.”
Reality show contestants typically sign waivers acknowledging that they may be subjected to ridicule and humiliation. However, the suit alleges that Marathon Productions got Mary to sign a contract without her parents’ knowledge or consent, according to Variety.
After the contestant complained, the company communicated that it would not feature Mary in the broadcast. However, the couple asked that the entire performance not be aired. That request was refused.
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