key2thecup Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Storage Wars Sued By Its Star; Show Is Faked And Execs Were Confronted By Cast, Court Papers Charge “Yuuupp,” Dave Hester has filed a blockbuster lawsuit against Storage Wars, RadarOnline.com is reporting exclusively. Hester, one of the show’s best-known personalities who is infamous for his brash “Yuuup” while bidding on storage lockers, charges that the A&E hit show is fake and fired him in retaliation days after he complained about it to network and production company executives. Radar broke the story that the reality TV show picked up Hester’s contract option and then rescinded it for season four. Now, in the lawsuit filed by Los Angeles top attorney Marty Singer, the show is accused of illegal activity and an ongoing pattern of outrageous behavior in deceiving the public. The suit contains numerous bombshell claims, including that that the network and producers regularly “salt” lockers with valuable items to add drama to the show, rig the bidding and even paid for a female cast member’s plastic surgery to add sex appeal! In the five-count multi-million dollar lawsuit filed in California, Hester makes detailed and explosive allegations against the show, which the network has previously defended as 100% real and not staged. He also says that cast members confronted executives at an in-person meeting this year and expressed theirconcern over the show being rigged. Hester says was fired days after meeting with executives and subsequently asking to be indemnified by the show for any third party claims regarding “the authenticity of the auction process and the Series.” In a suit that is sure to cause ripples through the show and the network, Hester charges:Producers staged entire units and enlisted the cooperation of owners of storage facilities to do so.The show pays for storage lockers for “weaker” cast members as part of the manipulationThe show plants items in lockers after having them appraised weeks in advanceThe show obtains items to be placed in the units from a business regularly featured on air In addition, Hester charges that interviews with cast members are scripted and scenes of biding are faked to the extent that there are no auctions taking place while cast members and members of the public are shown bidding. But perhaps the suit’s biggest bombshell is the charge that cast members, along with Hester, met with executives this year and expressed their concerns about the show being faked. “The truth is that Defendants regularly salt or plant the storage lockers that are the subject of the auctions portrayed on the Series with valuable or unusual items to create drama and suspense for the show,” the suit alleges. On Sept. 6, Hester and some other cast members met with Neil Cohen, A&E’s senior vice president, talent & production to express their concerns about this alleged practice. In the meeting Hester complained “that he believed that it was illegal for Defendants to continue to salt the storage units,” the suit alleges. “The other cast members present agreed with Hester that Defendants’ conduct was inappropriate and possibly illegal.” After that meeting Hester and the rest of cast met with Cohen, Jeff Bumgarner, the series producer, Ernest Avila, the production company’s executive vice president of business and legal affairs. The issue of “salting” units again was discussed and according to the suit, “Bumgarner got angry and didn’t want to hear anything more about salting units. Cohen admitted he was aware of the salting issue but didn’t know the extent, as described by Hester. Avila identified two AETN executive who he indicated knew the scope of the salting issue and who had been aware that the storage units were salted from the beginning of the series.” The end for Hester began on Sept. 18 when his entertainment attorney Stephen Barnes sent a letter to Avila requesting the star be indemnified by the show for any third party claims regarding “the authenticity of the auction process and the Series.” According to the suit, “Defendants response to this request was to fire Hester from the Series.” Avila sent Hester a letter on October 1 rescinding exercise of his option for Cycle 4. “Avila’s letter cited Barnes Sept. 12 letter in which ‘Barnes had requested, among other things, that Defendants indemnify Hester,’” the suit charges. Hester goes on to detail how the show was fixed from the beginning. He claims producers asked him to find and place his own valuable items in the lockers in Season One. Hester agreed atfirst and then complained. The result, he charges in court, is that the other contestants’ lockers were salted by the producers, giving those contestants a competitive advantage. Hester again complained. The show amped up its outrageous conduct in season three, the suit contends, sparking more concern from Hester. Now he is seeking millions for breach of contract, wrongful termination in violation of public policy and three other counts. A&E has previously refused to comment to Radar about Hester’s situation with the show. http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2012/12/storage-wars-sued-dave-hester-show-faked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalie13 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I always thought it was kind of weird that so many lockers had valuable items stored in them. I mean, if you have things that are so valuable, wouldn't you pay your locker rental? Or even put them in a locker in the first place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raoul Duke Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE! Saw this coming a mile away. All of these shows seem to be rigged in some way. Maybe not so much Pawn Stars, but you can just tell with the others. Side note, the most rigged show I have ever had the displeasure of watching is Restaurant Stakeout. So incredibly bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearloch7 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 All I can say to ALL "reality" TV shows is a big, fat .. some folks will believe almost anything .. Sasquatch's, Supreme Being's, Easter Bunnies and Tooth Fairies .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riviera82 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I always figured the show was faked to some degree. What really got me was how there were always so many random people bidding on lockers and none of them would ever win, the main cast members would always get them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlayStation Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Yeah sort of odd how the items are worth thousands, yet the person doesnt bother to pay a tiny amount for the locker itself. One episode they had $30,000 of brand new vending machines in one locker. Hester got his fame from the show, now is turning around and suing them, tsk tsk tsk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elvis15 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 File under: things smart people already knew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heretic Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Next thing you'll hear is that WWF is staged... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 My buddy thinks all these shows are real and I laugh at him. At the same time I have no patience for somebody who cashes in on something incredibly stupid like 'Yuuup' and thinks he has the right to sue anyone over anything creative. Go back under the rock you came from, 'Superstar.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertuzzi Babe Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I don't know why anyone would be surprised by this news as the rumours of lockers being 'salted' with goodies has been around for a long time now. As much as I dislike the Dave Hester portrayed on the show, I've never underestimated his intelligence and I guess the producers etc. just pissed him off one time too many. I can see the 'bidders' being willing to play along to a certain degree but the show producers should have known that wrongfully terminating DH would result in the badly kept secrets of Storage Wars being blown sky high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Next thing you'll hear is that WWF is staged... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riviera82 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I think Hester even trademarked that stupid "YUUUP" sh*t. He has it on his hats and shirts and even on his truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockhart Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 pretty obvious that it was fake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Where's Wellwood Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Duh. Is anybody really surprised by this? It's also pretty obvious not just from the items, but from some of the interviews with the cast that are so corny that it has to be scripted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Common sense Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I guess it's back to Amish shows.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkeeterHansen Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Next thing you'll hear is that WWF is staged... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmployeeoftheMonth Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE! Saw this coming a mile away. All of these shows seem to be rigged in some way. Maybe not so much Pawn Stars, but you can just tell with the others. Side note, the most rigged show I have ever had the displeasure of watching is Restaurant Stakeout. So incredibly bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertuzzi Babe Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I guess it's back to Amish shows.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I'll tell you what's fake... ...referring to this guy as a "star". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.DirtyDangles Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 LMAO ! Anyone who thinks reality shows have any reality in them are just plain morons. Especially pure trash like Storage wars, omg what has this world become ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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