- 3 minutes ago
Lights, camera, litigation! Join us as we count down the most shocking TV moments that sent producers, networks, and streaming giants straight to the courtroom. From wrongful death claims and defamation suits to copyright battles and privacy violations, these scenes prove that what happens on screen doesn't always stay on screen. Which lawsuit shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments!
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Jerry Springer, he just kind of blew it off, like, what do I know about it?
00:04How disrespectful can you be? It's just awful.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for TV moments and episodes that ended in legal action
00:12being taken against the show.
00:14We don't always get it right.
00:16Number 20. Unfair Disqualification. America's Next Top Model.
00:20During the 17th cycle of the series, former contestant Anjalee Preston competed for the win for a third time.
00:26I have come a very long way. I did grow up in an area that was rough. We were on
00:30food stamps, welfare, you know, the whole nine.
00:33But you don't have to be a product of your environment, because I'm not. Like, I made it out. I'm
00:37just going to continue to fight. I'm going to fight to the death.
00:39She made it to the end and then was suddenly disqualified. Fans were confused, and some believed that she had
00:43been the original champion.
00:44In 2013, she confirmed that rumor and later revealed that her elimination was due to her short-lived past as
00:49an escort.
00:50She claimed the producers were aware and waited until she won to punish her.
00:53As such, she lost out on $100,000. In 2014, Preston sued for breach of contract and other labor violations
00:59and sought $3 million in restitution.
01:02The suit was dropped in 2018, and while she didn't receive financial compensation, fans finally recognized her as the winner.
01:08It came back to bite me with them decrowning me, and it was awful because it kind of made me
01:18feel shameful.
01:19It made me feel like that I should be ashamed of this thing that I did.
01:22Number 19, Invasion of Privacy and Defamation, Law and Order.
01:26In a 2003 episode of the crime series, a shifty lawyer named Ravi Patel was shown offering bribes to officials.
01:32We may ask you to appear.
01:33If it's true, then, that would be premature.
01:38I don't think I'd be of much use.
01:40A year later, real-life attorney Ravi Batra sued, claiming that the show had defamed him by basing the character
01:46on him.
01:46The similarities between the two were obvious, from the first name and physical appearance to Batra's association with a corrupt
01:51judge.
01:52Batra took the show to court for libel and fiction, and sued for $15 million.
01:56The judge allowed it, saying that the likeness was so similar that casual viewers would easily identify the character as
02:01Batra.
02:02It's one of the few cases where such a claim wasn't immediately dismissed, and it was settled out of court.
02:06Once we lay out the magnitude of your corruption, the jury will find it easy to believe that you and
02:13the judge conspired to murder Arianna Marchetti to silence her.
02:16Number 18, Copyright Infringement, Rock.
02:19In 1995, artist Faith Ringgold happened to be watching the sitcom when she noticed a familiar piece of art in
02:24several scenes.
02:25Now for our last performers of the evening, we have Mr. Joey Emerson and his trumpet students.
02:30It was her own work, which Rock used without her permission and showed on screen for just under 27 seconds.
02:35She then took BET and HBO to court to stop them from using it in future productions.
02:39The network claimed that the poster was shown so infrequently that it didn't qualify as infringement.
02:43The Court of Appeals argued in favor of Ringgold, stating that Rock's usage made it difficult for her to license
02:48her work in the future.
02:49Look, Rock, I just play the odds.
02:52One of these days, the odds are going to run out on you.
02:54Her win was massive for artists everywhere, as it made it harder for their work to be shown without consent
02:59or proper compensation.
03:00Number 17, Parody Lawsuit, South Park.
03:03In 2010, Brownmark Films learned that not all copyright cases were created equal the hard way.
03:08That year, they sued South Park over the usage of Samwell's viral hit, What What in the Butt.
03:12I feel you watching me, over there.
03:16Come to me, if you can.
03:19The episode in question, Canada on Strike, featured Butters singing the comedic song in his signature voice.
03:25The company claimed the show ripped off their work and intended to sue for full damages.
03:29The first attempt went poorly, with the judge fighting the series' version to be transformative
03:32and Brownmark being made to pay Viacom's legal fees.
03:35Undeterred, they tried appealing the verdict.
03:37The appellate court doubled down on the original ruling and even asserted that the usage drove more viewers and potential
03:42revenue to Samwell's track.
03:44There's more people viewing it! This is going great!
03:46Number 16, Carol Burnett's Day Job, Family Guy.
03:49Even throwaway jokes are subject to being taken to court.
03:51Guys, this is the best dirty bookstore in town!
03:54In the 2006 Family Guy episode, Peterotica, Peter and the gang went to an adult store,
03:58where an animated portrayal of Carol Burnett's charwoman character was seen working as a janitor.
04:03A year later, Burnett sued due to the show not getting her permission before doing so.
04:07She alleged that the network had infringed on her likeness in trademarked work and sought $6 million in compensation.
04:12However, her case was dismissed early on due to the joke being considered a parody and therefore covered by the
04:17First Amendment.
04:17The judge even went on to clarify that while he found the joke offensive to her legacy, he still had
04:22to prioritize the law and allow it.
04:24Number 15, Alicia Guastafero, Wife Swap.
04:26Reality television has been criticized for misconstruing those appearing in front of the camera.
04:31Alicia Guastafero is a prime example.
04:33The former pageant queen appeared with her family in an episode of Wife Swap, where she was shown to be
04:37spoiled and uneducated.
04:38Just make a note you'll want to check your spelling of America.
04:41I would be very concerned.
04:43She's not able to write complete sentences.
04:45She lacks basic spelling skills.
04:47It was hard for her.
04:48She doesn't have the skills she needs to succeed to do her level work.
04:52In 2010, she sued the network for a staggering $100 million.
04:55She claimed she'd been prompted to act poorly and that the show edited several scenes to make her look worse.
05:00As a result, she was allegedly forced to change schools due to harassment and reportedly received death threats.
05:05She also claimed it caused her to develop anxiety.
05:07Being on a reality show was the worst mistake of my life.
05:11Her case was settled later that year and with the details never having been disclosed, it's unclear whether she received
05:16financial compensation or not.
05:17Number 14, Using Griselda's Likeness.
05:20Griselda.
05:20Portraying a fictionalized version of a real person on the small screen is always a risk.
05:25In 2024, Netflix released a miniseries on drug lord Griselda Blanco, starring Sofia Vergara.
05:30I know my love, but everything will be fine.
05:34It was enjoyed by critics, but Blanco's family, namely her son, felt differently.
05:38He and his wife sued the company and the lead actress for telling her story and using their likeness without
05:42their permission and hoped to have the series pulled from their service.
05:45Her son also alleged that he should be compensated, as he'd planned to create a novel or show based around
05:49her for years prior to Netflix going forward with their project.
05:52The suit didn't go in his favor, with it being permanently dismissed just a month after it was filed.
05:56I was told once years ago, you're nobody until somebody sues you.
06:00No one ever sues a failure.
06:02Number 13, Insulting a Coal Tycoon.
06:04Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
06:06There are some cases where people use lawsuits as a way of censoring those critiquing them.
06:10These instances, known as slap suits, have been unfairly utilized against some TV shows.
06:15One of the most prominent cases occurred in 2017 following a Last Week Tonight with John Oliver segment.
06:20Murray does not want us talking about the accident, saying it was an incredibly difficult time for the families.
06:26In it, the host comedically lambasted coal tycoon Bob Murray and the unsafe working conditions in his mines.
06:32Days later, Murray's company sued Oliver and HBO for defamation.
06:35Though it was dismissed in 2019, it resulted in high fees against the network, and the show's libel insurance rates
06:40skyrocketing.
06:41Even with those financial setbacks, Oliver still came out on top legally and culturally,
06:45with his subsequent musical bit about Murray being nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
06:53Number 12, Fiona vs. Netflix, Baby Reindeer.
06:56Asserting that a story is entirely true is a one-way ticket to a lawsuit.
06:59Every day now, Martha would come in, each time with new makeup, new hairstyles, like a kid playing dress-up.
07:05She always opened the conversation by saying,
07:08I've got to go.
07:08but then would stick around for the entire shift.
07:11The Netflix original Baby Reindeer fell victim to this in 2024,
07:14when Fiona Harvey claimed the antagonist Martha Scott was based on her.
07:18She alleged that her supposed actions had been heavily fictionalized,
07:21and that the portrayal led to her being harassed.
07:23Netflix claiming the miniseries was a true story at the beginning of each episode didn't help their case.
07:27What do you feel about Richard Gad?
07:30I think he's psychotic, and I think that anyone going along, being in that play, and doing this to somebody,
07:40I find the behavior outrageous.
07:43Harvey sued the company for $170 million, and while Netflix attempted to have it dismissed,
07:47it was decided that she could move forward with it.
07:50The case hasn't been seen in front of a judge yet, but when it does, there's a chance she could
07:53come out on top.
07:54Number 11, A Secret Crush Leads to Wrongful Death, The Jenny Jones Show.
07:58Shock television sometimes comes with a fatal price,
08:01and the episode that this entry is about never actually aired in full on TV.
08:05In 1995, several people were invited onto The Jenny Jones Show to meet people who had secret crushes on them.
08:10One participant, Jonathan Schmitz, was blindsided with the news that his acquaintance, Scott Amador, liked him.
08:16Did you think Donna had the crush on you?
08:18Did I? No, we're good friends.
08:20Well, guess what? It's Scott that has the crush on you.
08:22You lied to me.
08:23While he appeared to be fine with the revelation, he brutally took Amador's life three days later.
08:28He was tried in a criminal case, and the victim's family set their sights on the program.
08:31They sued for negligence, claiming that the show should have foreseen the consequences of filming such an inflammatory segment.
08:38Members of the jury, have you reached your verdict? If so, let your foreperson please rise.
08:43Our verdict as to the charge of first-degree premeditated murder is guilty of the lesser offense of second-degree
08:50murder.
08:50The highly publicized trial had an immediate impact on the industry, with other shows altering their content and the Jenny
08:56Jones Show suffering a sharp decline in its popularity.
08:5910. Prank Gone Wrong
09:00Punk'd
09:01Honestly, this MTV hidden camera gag by Ashton Kutcher was downright cruel.
09:05Okay, here's what's gonna happen. We're gonna do something, a celebrity's gonna get pissed, and then we're gonna laugh at
09:10them.
09:11It became famous for staging fake emergencies, celebrity scandals, or accidents to catch stars off guard, then revealing it was
09:17all a prank.
09:17But before that format, the show was originally called Harassment, and it targeted regular people.
09:21In 2002, however, one prank crossed the line.
09:24If you're telling me you can't be punked, you're begging me to do it.
09:27Producers staged a dead body in a one-room suite at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, shocking real guests
09:33who found it.
09:33To make matters worse, hotel security allegedly wouldn't let the terrified couple leave.
09:37Even after the stunt was revealed, the traumatized couple filed for a $10 million lawsuit.
09:42The episode never aired, and how it all ended remains a bit murky.
09:45Is this from the lawyers?
09:469. The Final Game
09:48The Queen's Gambit
09:49This hit miniseries follows Beth Harmon, a fictional chess prodigy who rises from an orphanage to conquer the male-dominated
09:55world of chess.
09:56I'm afraid.
09:57Then don't go.
09:58I have to go.
10:00If I don't, there's nothing for me to do.
10:02While the show received accolades, it also sparked a real-life controversy.
10:05In order to elevate Beth's legacy, the show took a jab at real-life female chess legend Nona Goprindashvili.
10:11In the show's last episode, the commentator claims that Goprindashvili never faced men, which is simply not true.
10:16There's Nona Goprindashvili.
10:18She's the female world champion, and has never faced men.
10:22Not only does she compete with men, she's also Georgian, not Russian.
10:25Offended by this, Goprindashvili filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against Netflix, claiming the show undermined her achievements.
10:31The case was later settled privately in 2022.
10:34I may have just played the best chess player of my life.
10:41You will get used to it.
10:53Netflix's version of Sabrina's adventures is downright dark.
10:55I'm not an evil person, father.
11:03I'm glad to hear it.
11:04Neither am I.
11:05Neither are your aunts.
11:06Instead of the bubbly teenage magic, the show dives into witchcraft, satanic lore, and occult rituals.
11:11Back in 2018, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina landed in hot water with a real-life satanic organization, the Satanic Temple.
11:17What was the issue?
11:18The academy was built according to the principles of sacred geometry.
11:22Each room is a perfectly proportioned pentagon that locks with the one next to it.
11:27No one knows how many pentagons there are exactly.
11:30Some say an infinite number.
11:32The show prominently features a statue of Baphomet, which the organization claimed looked eerily similar to their own copyrighted version.
11:38They also took issue with how the show portrayed the statue in a sinister and evil context, which they claimed
11:43defame their value.
11:44So they filed a $50 million lawsuit against Netflix and Warner Brothers.
11:47The case ended up not going to trial as the parties reached a settlement, which was not disclosed to the
11:51public.
11:52Thank you, Nicholas.
11:55Really?
11:56Number 7.
11:56Soft Kitty, The Big Bang Theory.
11:58For a character as eccentric as Sheldon Cooper, it comes as no surprise that he needs a specific song to
12:03soothe him when he's sick or stressed.
12:05Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty.
12:11Little ball of fur.
12:14Keep rubbing.
12:18Little ball of fur.
12:20Avid fans of Sheldon probably know we're talking about the Soft Kitty song.
12:24While it was popularized by Amy, Penny, Sheldon, and Mary, the lyrics are actually based off of the poem Warm
12:29Kitty by Edith Newland.
12:30These lyrics had been published decades earlier in a school songbook.
12:33That's nice.
12:36Now in German.
12:37However, in 2015, Newland's daughters sued the creators of the show and CBS for using it without permission.
12:43Unfortunately, the case was dismissed since Newland's children couldn't prove they had valid copyright of their mother's content.
12:48Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty, Little ball of fur.
12:53Number 6.
12:54Nude Backside, NYPD Blue.
12:56Back in the 90s, network TV had stricter standards around adult content.
13:00You gotta know this is a big step, Martinez.
13:02Yeah, I mean...
13:03But shows like NYPD Blue broke the rules by airing scenes with strong language and even nudity on a major
13:08network.
13:09Naturally, it stirred a lot of controversy.
13:11One scene in particular pushed the boundaries even further.
13:13It's probably an unforgettable one for those who have seen it.
13:16Is everything alright?
13:17Yeah, I'm just checking to see if there's any long-term effects to walking in and seeing me naked this
13:24morning.
13:24No.
13:25Yes.
13:26It shows a woman's bare backside as she prepares to shower.
13:29After viewers complained, the Federal Communications Commission got involved and fined ABC $1.4 million.
13:35After years of legal battles, a court finally threw out the fine in 2011, ruling that the FCC's indecency policy
13:41was too vague.
13:42Number 5. Shaving the Truth, Inventing Anna.
13:45Inspired by a true story, Inventing Anna chronicles the rise and fall of Anna Sorokin, a con artist who scammed
13:50friends, hotels, and banks.
13:52Anything wrong. I didn't do what the prosecutor is saying I did.
13:58But how accurate is the series really?
14:00Well, it appears some details were totally made up and the portrayal of Rachel Williams may be one of them.
14:04She's depicted as shallow, greedy, and opportunistic, and the real Williams wasn't having it.
14:08If there is a way that true crime stories can be told, seen, discussed, even dramatized responsibly, this just isn't
14:16it.
14:16In 2022, she filed a defamation suit against Netflix for casting her in such a negative light.
14:21Williams' decision to sell her story rights to HBO instead of Netflix may have played a role in this, or
14:25so she believes.
14:26Imagine using someone's real name and details without doing the work to portray them truthfully.
14:31That isn't fair.
14:31She is someone who doesn't deserve our celebration.
14:35She's someone who's committed crimes, and I do think it's important to have a moral compass.
14:39Number four.
14:40The Hannah Baker inspiration.
14:4113 Reasons Why.
14:42Sometimes what we put out into the world through powerful platforms like films and television can have serious consequences.
14:48Hey, it's Hannah.
14:50Hannah Baker.
14:52There's not a simple explanation for the things that I feel.
14:56That's right.
14:57Don't adjust your whatever device you're hearing this on.
15:01There's no one word to tell you why I do the things that I feel.
15:04It's me, live and in stereo.
15:07The depiction of Hannah Baker taking her own life on this show is one prominent example.
15:11While the show opened up discussions about mental health, it soon became a magnet for controversy.
15:16In 2017, a young girl took her own life after watching the show, and she wasn't the only one.
15:21And for a minute, just a minute, I felt like maybe I could beat this.
15:27The bereaved father filed a class-action lawsuit against Netflix the following year.
15:32However, the judge later ruled in favor of Netflix.
15:34Still, this is a powerful reminder that content doesn't only entertain, sometimes it influences actions and thoughts.
15:39Well, how are you a problem to them?
15:47I don't know.
15:48Number three, framing a killer, making a murderer.
15:51We all know documentaries don't always present the full truth, even if they claim to be a true story.
15:55It's just a little bit more waiting.
15:58I've waited long enough.
16:00A little bit more, even though, bother me.
16:02That's precisely the issue Andrew Colburn raised in his lawsuit against Netflix over the hit docuseries Making a Murderer.
16:08Who is Colburn?
16:09He was a Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department officer featured in the Stephen Avery case.
16:13Gone over Exhibit 138.
16:15Yes, sir.
16:16According to him, the docuseries made it look like he was involved in framing Avery.
16:20So Colburn filed a lawsuit against Netflix for omitting key facts and portraying him in a dishonest manner.
16:25However, the court dismissed the case, saying that although the show took a clear narrative stance, it didn't amount to
16:30defamation.
16:31The truth is, the entire case is a tricky one.
16:33That's a significant event.
16:35Right, that's what stood out in my mind.
16:37Number two, negative portrayal, when they see us.
16:40This powerful Netflix series tells the true story of the Central Park Five, a group of boys who were wrongfully
16:45convicted.
16:46What were you doing in the park last night?
16:49I'm nothing, I wasn't doing anything.
16:51Did you see some bad guys out there?
16:53Felicity Huffman plays Linda Fairstein, then head of Manhattan's sex crime unit.
16:57She's depicted as a driving force behind the prosecution, often aggressively pushing for conviction even with no evidence.
17:03After the show shook the world, Fairstein's image took a serious hit.
17:06Now the hashtag, CancelLinda, is trending on social media.
17:10And a Change.org petition has gotten thousands of signatures calling for bookstores to remove Fairstein's mystery books from store
17:18shelves.
17:19She was dropped by her publishers and even removed from several boards.
17:22In response, she filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix for how she was portrayed in the series.
17:27While parts of the lawsuits were allowed to proceed, Fairstein ultimately reached an agreement with Netflix, a week before the
17:32case could go to trial.
17:34But the damage had already been done.
17:35They were in the park, beating people up the same night that she's getting beat up and you're telling me
17:41they had nothing to do with it?
17:44Bullshit.
17:45They said it themselves.
17:47They told us what happened.
17:49Number 1, The Mistress, The Jerry Springer Show.
17:52Messi doesn't even begin to describe this 90s trash TV show.
17:55It thrived on shock values, surprise reveals, and all-out brawls.
17:59Sometimes the drama spilled into real life with tragic consequences.
18:02In 2000, Nancy Campbell-Pinnitz appeared on an episode titled Secret Mistresses Confronted, alongside her ex-husband Ralph Pinnitz and
18:09his girlfriend Eleanor.
18:10Nancy had been allegedly misled by the producers into thinking she was there for reconciliation, only for her to be
18:15humiliated.
18:16But the worst came after, hours after the episode aired.
18:19Nancy was found dead and Ralph would be convicted of her murder.
18:22Nancy's sons filed a civil lawsuit against the show, claiming it created a volatile environment that led to her death.
18:28The case was eventually dropped without a financial settlement.
18:30Which of these lawsuits do you find the most shocking?
18:32Let us know in the comments.
Comments