Even though America’s Got Talent hasn’t aired the first episode of its 12th season (the season premiere is Tuesday, May 30), the NBC show is already making headlines – and it’s not because of an old man performing scream-o metal or anyone named Tape Face.
After taking over hosting duties of the popular summer series after Nick Cannon’s abrupt departure, Tyra Banks has already generated some controversy of her own. The 43-year-old model/actress is named in a lawsuit against Marathon Productions (the company responsible for producing AGT) filed by a contestant on the show, alleging that her daughter was “traumatized” after being “physically manipulated and verbally abused” by Tyra.
In the 18-page lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday, the plaintiff, simply referred to as Jane Doe, alleged that during the taping of one of the show’s audition episodes on March 19, her daughter, “Mary,” was subject to treatment that left her “deeply depressed.”
The suit alleges that during Jane’s performance of an original song with her husband, show producers told Mary “to act embarrassed and annoyed by her parents’ performance.” The song, which the couple wrote about motherhood and the birth of their daughter was a “bond among the members of her family.” Jane alleged the song was “especially favored” by Mary.
I’ve not heard the song, but I have a sneaking suspicion it probably wasn’t very good. And, with what happened next, I think I might be right. After the performance, Jane alleged that Tyra not only insinuated that the child was accidentally conceived, she also “shook Mary’s shoulder, pulled Mary’s hair back and physically manipulated Mary.” The suit goes on to say that “Mary did not stop Banks’ conduct because Mary was fearful.” After the incident, Jane said that Mary was still experiencing PTSD-like symptoms when recalling the event, stating:
[She] 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, if all of this wasn’t bad enough, the suit claims that the producers obtained signed release forms from the daughter without her mother’s consent. AGT later did agree not to air any of the footage of Mary with Tyra backstage (where the alleged assault took place), but they still may air the couple’s on-stage performance of the song.
Jane is claiming intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress along with civil battery and civil assault and is pushing for a jury trial to settle the matter.
Woof. I am a fan of America’s Got Talent, and I’ve heard some backstage tales that lend some credence to what Jane is alleging about some of the unsavory methods employed by the producers, but if Tyra did what Jane is claiming she did, she may have the shortest tenure as an AGT host ever. Of course, we haven’t seen any footage of the incident, so Jane could be blowing the physical abuse part of the suit out of proportion. Watching this play out may be more exciting that the whole season of AGT, well, unless they bring back Piff the Magic Dragon.
Photos: Getty Images, WENN.com
The most uncomfortable part of these shows to me is when they have the really bad people who don’t know they are bad.
It sounds like these people were that type of bad. BUT they are grown ass adults, the baby is not. If Tyra behaved poorly to the child, she’s in the wrong like crazy.
I like Tyra, but she’s kind of a loose cannon.
Tyra has a long trail of being cruel to contestants. Shrugging it off as their skin being too thin. This wasn’t unknown to her bosses.
if it was they live under rocks.
It sounds as if any kind of physical assault or verbal abuse claims, if true, will be somewhat easy to prove, if the camera was rolling and there were (as I assume) lots of backstage witnesses. Encouraging a child to make fun of her parents is also a bad thing to do in general (it’s not clear how old the minor is). AGT seems designed to make fun of people in a mean-spirited way, and that’s why I don’t watch it.
lmao! Its obviously a shake down. All that happened to a child in full view of the entire team that mills around the backstage interviews? Please. The parents are probably just miffed at being the butt of the joke onstage and are reaching for anything. I’m sure all the violent contact they are alleging was just Tyra innocently holding the girls shoulder and stroking her ponytail.
Agree. Nothing about that statement reads like an assault to me.
I think a bit from both sides.
tyra being loopy, touching, etc..
And a girl embarrassed on a national level in her mind.
Tyra is pretty insane and I believe her to be completely capable of verbally abusing someone but this sounds ridiculous. How could shaking someone’s shoulder or touching their hair be construed as assault? How can the girl have PTSD from that, or from Tyra insinuating she was an oops baby (even they said it was implied rather than stated outright)? It sounds histrionic and like a completely frivolous lawsuit.
I kept reading ANTM and was like, man that show’s changed since I watched it.
lol! I had to read it twice too.
Or the parents were unhappy with being mocked, and they are pushing their feelings onto their kid. Sounds like they had a weird song about their daughter – shows like this always pick some duds to mock – and they were insulted that that’s exactly what happened. Depending on the age of the kid – maybe she WAS embarrassed and then told her parents that the producers told her to act that way to avoid blame. “pulled MARY’S hair back” gives me a slight red flag. Did she brush her hair back? Because I honestly cannot picture Tyra going up to a child and yanking back her hair.
Now – if their special little (embarrassing song) implicated that it was a surprise pregnancy – how is that not THEIR fault for choosing to perform it? If it’s something that is so near and dear to them – they shouldn’t have performed that song. MAYBE the kid is terrified that the song is going to be aired live and all her classmates are going to mock her – and the parents are choosing to blame the show because they can’t comprehend that their little girl might not be thrilled about a song relating to her conception being made public.
Sorry – you went onto a show that’s been on the air for YEARS and has a reputation for airing embarrassing auditions and then you’re surprised that you’re going to be publicly embarrassed? It’s not like it’s a brand new show that they know nothing about. They seem like real nutjobs.
Exactly. I usually side with the victim but this whole story sounds bizarre and just…not believable to me. It really does read like a shakedown as posters up-thread said. I’m not doubting that Tyra can be awful nor am I doubting that the producers manipulate the stories for ratings, though.
I agree, the story does seem a bit off. I’ll reserve judgement until there’s more evidence but I’m having trouble believing this (as it’s described here).
Something about this story sounds off to me. They sure are laying it on thick here so it seems like a cash grab, but if I’m wrong and they’re telling the truth I hope they reach some sort of settlement.
Idk… Tyra has a rep for being mean-spirited and nasty behind the scenes and also when meeting fans so I’m leaning toward believing this. Maybe the parents embellished a bit but I can see this being mostly true.
There was an expose on Racked about Tyra’s cosmetics (scam?) direct selling brand. She came across kind of fake to the interview.
Even on screen, I think of the much memed ‘I was rooting for you, We were ALLL ROOTING FOR YOU’. When I watched it I thought it was great, thinking back… she screamed that in someone’s face. Shes said some MEAN stuff to the models on ANTM, I’m really kind of hoping that’s just her screen persona and she didn’t get out of hand with a child. The adults can take their lumps, but kids are off limits.
Tyra’s been incredibly meanspirited toward contestants on ANTM. Not just Tiffany.
It’s not difficult for me to believe she’s behaving like an asshole on another show.
A 43 year old woman randomly bullying a kid w no cause is heardly believable
Tyra Mean? Sure. But PTSD? Really? Don’t you think that’s kind of insulting to people that have experienced real trauma and PTSD?
Did anybody ever sue Simon Cowell ? He humiliated contestants on American Idol,X Factor,every show he was a judge on.
Those were participants who signed releases though. These people are suing on behalf of their minor daughter who isn’t subject to a (valid) release.
To me the only red flag is Tyra laying her hands on the child. There’s no reason for her to do that, and she’s the kind of pushy personality who I can believe would be handsy and make someone uncomfortable. Painful assault? No I don’t think she’s aggressive and that’s hard to picture why she would even do that. But Tyra can definitely treat people like they are pets that she owns, and she should just keep her hands entirely to herself .
As for the rest of it: sounds like they went on a show known to embarrass people and got embarrassed. What a shock.
But you also have to wonder if she really was uncomfortable, or if the parents are angry and are playing everything up. Just the choice of words “physically manipulated” and she was “fearful”. It’s just all so strange. Someone giving your shoulder a squeeze – while unwanted maybe – isn’t exactly something that would terrify most people, or kids. The whole thing is just SO weird.
It was likely a ‘you could be such a pretty girl, just- here- pull your hair back in to a high pony tail’ type of thing. which I guess is shitty yes BUT, in Tyra’s world was likely trying to be comforting/make the girl feel better as Tyra is more known for ANTM.
I’ve long heard Trya is a hot, leggy tyrant off-camera (and I still remember that macadamia-level meltdown on poor — who was it, Tiffany? Was that her name? — on ANTM, and don’t tell me that shit about about “exhaustion,” you were just being an abusive, douchewaffle hell-bent on humiliating that poor girl) but this story reeks of b.s.
Especially as someone with PTSD. Bruh, you’re having flashbacks b/c your hair was pulled? This is some BEC shit right here. No, girl. Sit down. Eat a cookie. Side-eye the hair-puller. You’re fine.
And anyway, assaulting a child WITH CAMERAS AND CREW EVERYWHERE should be easy af to prove and I doubt we’re gonna be seeing any receipts. money hungry parents, methinks
PTSD from being embarrassed about a song no less?
If this girl has anxiety and it was triggered during the whole event she could easily be suffering ptsd after effects. Who knows what resources this family have. Therapy isn’t free.
Panic attacks and triggered anxiety are not the same as PTSD, which is a complex disorder and requires professional diagnosis. And anyone who has lived WITH PTSD for years will side-eye the hell out of “was anxious, hair was pulled, totes have PTSD now.”
Its really hard to judge without having a video clip to watch. Was Tyra actually being aggressive when touching the girl? Or is Tyra just the overly touchy type that likes to rub people’s shoulders or play with their hair as a way to show affection? I can still understand why a young would be uncomfortable with that (I don’t like people touching me either) but that doesn’t mean she was being abused. And was Tyra actually being rude about the song and family? Or was it a case of her saying something like “Yikes” which could have been in reference to the reaction the song was getting? Hard to know.
Either way, it seems like the core issue for this girl being ” depressed” and not wanting to hear he song anymore is because it was super cringey and the audience laughed. And that’s the on the parents for playing a super embarrassing song (not just in front of a live audience) but to millions of viewers watching at home.
Dont care if the singers sucked or not Tyra has that type of “enthusiasm” that sucks the energy out of a room. It’s not a secret and very fake.