Sexual misconduct constitutes any form of sexual behavior that is committed by one person to another without the consent and approval of the receiving party. It can happen between persons of the same or different gender. On October 1st, 2018, a cameraman who is part of The Real Housewives of Potomac (RHOP) filming crew told a U.S judge that he was a victim of sexual harassment. In a statement to the court, Orville Palmer claimed that the show’s cast member, Michael Darby, touched his butt and looked at him seductively afterward. Palmer revealed that he instructed the star to stop his behavior and reported the matter to his superior. He also disclosed that this was not the only time Darby had sexually assaulted him while shooting the reality show. On September 30th, 2019, a new set of witnesses emerged against the actor and reported seeing him or hearing reports of him grabbing the butts of several cast members. Juan Dixon admitted she is aware of complaints about Darby’s sexual behaviors, and she trusts that they should be taken seriously.
Are these sexual misconduct claims valid?
During the recent Sunday reunion of its cast, five female members of the show admitted they know of Darby’s sexual misbehavior, specifically the incidents that occurred in 2016. Gizelle Bryant, cast member and spouse of famous Pastor Jamal Bryant, said she was also informed of Darby’s character. Another star, Ray Huger, revealed she saw Michael attempting to grab the butt of producer, host, and writer Andy Cohen. According to Pop culture, Cohen said that he had seen Darby grab people’s butt before, but he does it jokingly hence not alarming. Similar allegations faced MTV’s show “The Challenge” when its star Tonya Cooley claimed she was raped in front of producers after she had passed out. We discovered Tonya had signed a disclaimer which argues they are not formal employees of the corporation and therefore MTV is not responsible for their safety. This clause implies MTV is not liable in case a sexual assault happens on members of their cast.
Will the victims have legal recourse?
Reality TV shows are full of drama and feuds between cast members, a factor that is significantly influencing how seriously the legal processes take the assault cases. After Orville Palmer reported Darby to the authorities, he applied for a restraining order against the star, but the court denied his request. The latest legal documents revealed that Palmer’s restraining order was dismissed because he did not have the adequate proof required to acquire the order. This is after Palmer’s temporary restraining order had expired and he was asking for a permanent one because Michael was still bothering him.
A similar situation happened to Tonya, whose rape case against Kenny Santucci failed to get to the trials. Viacom, MTV’s mother company, claimed the reality star intentionally over drunk and started behaving seductively before passing out. The company stated that Tonya was acting in a manner suggesting she was yearning for sexual behavior. Additionally, the disclaimer she had signed further weakened her case, and the two castmates responsible for assaulting her are free citizens.
Why such allegations are thrown out of courthouses
It is worth noting that reporting sexual misconduct immediately after they occur is the best thing to do, something that scares most people. For instance, the sexual misconduct on Orville Palmer occurred in September 2016 while he was shooting the show’s first episode, but the victim did not report until later in 2018. It took him almost two years to report the issue to the police, and perhaps the culprit was doing the same to other victims during the same period. A good example is the infamous Bill Cosby sexual misconduct case.
The disgraced comedian who is currently serving jail term had faced more than ten sexual misconduct allegations since the debut of his career in the 1960’s. His onscreen role as a comedian gave him a platform where he could interact with numerous people, among them ambitious reality TV stars. One such woman is Joan Tarshis. The former actress claimed that Cosby sexually harassed her while he was shooting the ‘Bill Cosby Show’ in a Universal’s complex. According to the Los Angeles Times, she was assaulted in 1969 but came forward almost five decades later in November 16th, 2014.
What can be done to curb such incidents?
Millennials are known to incline towards dramatic shows that portray ‘beautiful people’ making poor decisions. According to the Guardian, reality television features must put more effort into protecting their cast members’ mental and psychological states. Sexual misconduct that goes unpunished means that no one cares if the complainant has suffered some trauma or not. Orville Palmer once told TMZ that Darby had kicked his butt in a single occasion, but nothing was done.
On March 16th, 2019, ex-footballer and reality star Mike Thalassitis was discovered dead in a North London town. The court concluded the cause of death for the 26-year old ‘Love Island’ cast to be suicide by hanging. Sophie Gradon, another “Love Island” cast member, also committed suicide. For years now, reality stars have been challenged by pressure brought about by sudden popularity and the need to live up to people’s standards. Companies are neglecting the issues that are proving to be a threat to the well-being of reality stars. These programs should be regulated; thus, there is a need for implementation of legislation that provides the cast with the conducive and secure working environment.
For a sector that generates billions of dollars in revenue globally every year, workers unions should exist to save employees from employers. The Screen Actors Guild was put in place to protect actors from many other types of harassment. However, as published in the Guardian, it has continued to turn a blind eye to sexual abuse. The union would have helped Palmer build a strong case against Michael, who seems to have the backing of RHOP’s producers. It is unfortunate how Tonya Cooley signed a waiver form that leaves her vulnerable to all kinds of assaults in the presence of her agent. This incident proves the need for a union to protect reality stars and other entertainment players from their bosses. The sector is experiencing a growth in sexual misconduct, and there is a need to contain the situation. The #MeToo campaign has helped victims voice their harassment cases. However, we do not have to resort to social media, yet a union was established to prevent such occurrences.
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