Storage Wars Is Rigged, Scripted, No Real Auctions: How Do A&E Fake Storage Wars?
Yesterday morning, Dave Hester of A&E’s Storage Wars reality show filed an extensive and damning lawsuit claiming that producers fabricated the purported auction process from beginning to end.
Producers allegedly planted items in the storage lockers that were subsequently acquired by the cast, and producers allegedly rigged and staged the “auctions” that came after. About which the entire cast knew and were unhappy, although Hester was the most vocal in his discontent. So Hester was made an example of, and his invitation to return to filming another season was hastily rescinded.
And now Hester’s suing for, among other things, wrongful termination and he’s blowing the lid off how and why the show is contrived in his very, very detailed lawsuit. In short, he claims A&E fake the whole thing, entertainment is the only goal, veracity be damned, even if it means paying for certain a cast member to get plastic surgery to make the show more appealing. It gets worse…
* 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 manipulation, * The show plants items in lockers after having them appraised weeks in advance,
* The show obtains items to be placed in the units from a business regularly featured on air.
Here’s more detail on how the show’s faked and whom involved in production is in on the alleged scam. It basically started slow in season one, escalated in season two, with items planted here and there, and then resulted in bare-faced fraud. Involving, for example, an antiques company supplying a whole warehouse replete with valuables in exchange for getting publicity.
In season one, “Defendants (the production company) requested that Hester provide valuable items that would be planted by Defendants in the storage lockers acquired by Hester,” the suit charges. Hester agreed but then complained to a co-executive producer and the show dropped its request.
In season two, Hester complained again to the same producer as “Defendants continued to salt the storage units” of other cast members, the suit alleges.
In season three, show execs took things to a devious new level, according to the papers. Previously, when bidders won a storage locker, they placed their own lock on it. “However, in Cycle 3, Defendants insisted on using their own locks on the storage lockers portrayed in the series… it was obvious that Defendants were continuing to salt the storage units, including those purchased by Hester,” the suit states, adding that it was done outside of Hester’s presence and without his knowledge.
But it soon became apparent what was happening, the suit says, because when Hester would examine a locker he bought, “production staff would prod him to ‘check out’ certain boxes or direct him to unload his unit in such a way that he would be certain to ‘discover’ particular items that Defendants clearly knew had been planted in the unit.”
Original Productions, which produces the show, stages entire units and even finds and has interesting items appraised weeks before planting them the suit alleges. “Hester is informed and believes that a company called Off the Wall Antiques provides Defendants access to an entire warehouse full of marquee items, and in exchange, the owners of the establishment are regularly featured on the series,” according to the suit.
Hester was one of the show’s regular bidders, along with Barry Weiss, Darrell Sheets, Jarrod Schulz and Brandi Passante. And while the public has sometimes questioned the show’s validity, the network has insisted it is 100% genuine. But Hester’s lawsuit will make it difficult to maintain that stance, based on his specific allegations…
His most intriguing allegation is that execs paid for a female cast member’s plastic surgery to amp up the show’s sex appeal. – via RadarOnline.
[Dave Hester] says that cast members confronted executives at an in-person meeting this year and expressed their concern over the show being rigged. Hester says [he] 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 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.
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.” According to the suit, “Defendants response to this request was to fire Hester from the series.”
[Ernest Avila, the production company’s executive vice president of business and legal affairs] sent Hester a letter on October 1 rescinding exercise of his option for Cycle 4.
Now [Hester] is seeking millions for breach of contract, wrongful termination in violation of public policy and three other counts.
An A&E spokesperson told Radar: “We do not know about a lawsuit being filed and we do not comment on pending or threatened litigation.” – via RadarOnline.
Related Hollywood Gossip
Hollywoodite is a writer who has turned her love of pop culture into a business by starting her own websites where she can express her possibly unhealthy interest in all things gossip! Follow Hollywoodite on Twitter and on Facebook!