Tyra Banks Sued for “Humiliation” of Child on America’s Got Talent

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Summary: A married couple is suing Tyra Banks and America’s Got Talent for allegedly embarrassing their daughter during a taped performance. 

Tyra Banks has just joined NBC’s hit reality show, America’s Got Talent, but the voluptuous stunner is already facing problems–thanks to a couple of artists who are calling the supermodel a child humiliator.

  

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But is this a case of sour grapes from untalented fame seekers or did new host Banks really go too far?

So here’s what happened, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Jane Doe” and her husband “John Doe” auditioned for AGT in January in New York City. The singer-songwriter wife and her guitarist husband performed a number of songs for the casting people, and one of these songs included an original work about their daughter and motherhood. In their lawsuit, the couple said producers asked their daughter “Mary Doe” about the song, and the young girl sweetly said she wanted her parents to perform it.

In March, the musical couple flew to Los Angeles to get their big break on the hit show, which is seen by millions. While it’s unclear how John and Jane actually performed, it’s implied that they didn’t do so hot because they said they were made fun of by the shows’ judges and the new host, Tyra Banks, who took over the job from the affable Nick Cannon.

In the lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, John and Jane said Banks “physically manipulated and verbally abused” Mary when Banks was making fun of John and Jane’s singing. For those who haven’t seen AGT, contestants perform on stage in front of the hosts, which include Mel B and Simon Cowell, while the host hangs out in the background and provides commentary, either straight to camera or with the contestants’ friends and family. While this experience is usually fun, John and Jane said Banks was essentially a mean girl.

According to the 18-page lawsuit: “[Tyra Banks] an individual acting as an agent of Defendants, physically manipulated and verbally abused Mary. Banks shook Mary’s shoulder, pulled Mary’s hair back and physically manipulated Mary. … Mary did not stop Banks’ conduct because Mary was fearful. Banks also insinuated that Mary was accidentally conceived, made fun of the performance and ridiculed [the song] in front of Mary, all in front of active cameras that were filming Mary. After the performance, Banks asked Mary to describe, in front of active and filming cameras, her opinion about Jane and her husband after they were publicly ridiculed by AGT. … As a result of her negative experience from AGT and Defendants’ abusive treatment, Mary was traumatized and became deeply depressed.”

The plaintiffs’ attorney Elizabeth Yang said that Mary is now “traumatized, and became deeply depressed” from her brief brush with fame and celebrity. Yang told THR that the girl feels anxiety whenever she thinks about the idea that her parents’ performance will be televised to the masses.

Jane Doe said that she asked Marathon Productions, the company behind America’s Got Talent, to not air the footage. They agreed to cut out Mary, but they said that they will still air John and Jane’s original song.

The soon-to-be famous musicians are suing for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and civil assault and battery.

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Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Photo courtesy of Forbes

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