‘Love Island’ Producers Hit w/ Lawsuit For Racial Discrimination, Emotional Sabotage & Wrongfully Watching Contestants During Intimate Moments

July 20, 2023 by Kay Johnson in Reality TV with 0 Comments

‘Love Island’ Producers Hit w/ Lawsuit For Racial Discrimination, Emotional Sabotage & Wrongfully Watching Contestants During Intimate Moments

Some serious allegations have been made regarding the reality TV show “Love Island.”

According to a report from RadarOnline, two former producers filed a lawsuit against the hit series, claiming they were terminated shortly after expressing concerns about alarming labor practices.

The suit was reportedly filed by Jasmine Crestwell and Alex Rinks. The ex-employees are suing the series for race and gender discrimination, retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination, harassment and retaliation, whistleblower retaliation, and wrongful termination.

In the court documents, they allege that UK producers who were brought on to help increase ratings for the US spin-off broke protocol by watching and openly discussing women’s bodies during their shower scenes and other intimate moments. Reportedly, the suit claims the producers:

“openly commented on video feeds of female Islanders showering and having sex, creating a deeply uncomfortable work environment for women on set.”

Adding:

“The entire villa was equipped with cameras and Islanders were filmed 24 hours a day, even while showering, and producers had access to a video feed. While producers were instructed not to watch this footage, certain producers disregarded this instruction and not only watched this intimate footage but discussed it openly on set, including by making disparaging comments about female contestants’ bodies,”

Via “Love Island” Instagram Page

The suit reportedly continues:

“For instance, one Producer watched streams of nude female contestants and directed a female Producer to “look at her t—,” commenting that a cast member’s “boob job” made her “boobs look[] too hard…Executive producers also pressured female islanders to engage in sexual relationships without regard for their personal preferences or genuine consent.”

@tyriqueella

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? Spotless Mind – Jhené Aiko

Additionally, the plaintiffs allege that the UK producers had a long history of “racism and abusive practices,” which they claim were proven to be true over the course of filming. Crestwell and Rinks say they witnessed producers intentionally sabotage contestants’ ability to eat and neglected the upkeep of the villa.

Additionally, the women claim producers singled out female Black contestant Serenti Springs, referring to her as “b**ch,” “dumb,” and “disgusting.” They also allege producers even interfered with her chances of finding a mate. In case you’re unfamiliar, contestants can be booted from the island if they’re unable to find a romantic match. The suit reportedly states on the matter:

“From the first day of filming, [producer] Bush took steps to prevent Islander Sereniti Springs, a Black woman, from making connections with male cast members. Bush instructed all Producers on an internal walkie system, ‘don’t let Sereniti talk to any men.’ That night, Bush sent a list of ‘couples’ who had spoken on Day 1 to inform the following day’s production choices: Ms. Springs was the only Islander not on the list,”

Sereniti Springs

Speaking about how producers intentionally kept contestants from eating to create more drama and the poor conditions of the supposed “luxury” villa, the suit claims:

“Producers further intentionally scheduled testimonial filming during food service, meaning Islanders were often pulled away from eating to film their testimonial segments; when they returned, food service was over,”

And continues:

“[the villa] in reality, [was] a ramshackle, dilapidated ranch with inadequate plumbing and inoperable bathrooms…[it] was also unsanitary. Islanders generally were restricted to specific portable toilets connected to their rooms. These toilets were rarely cleaned and often broken and unusable. Showers in the villa’s bathrooms were clogged and overflowing,”

Crestwell and Rinks claim that after bringing several of these issues up in a meeting on July 25, 2022, they were wrongfully terminated two days later. All associated producers, NBCUniversal – who owns Peacock – and ITV Studios were named in the suit. The amount the women are seeking in damages has reportedly not been disclosed at this time.

Are you shocked to hear about the “Love Island” allegations? Let us know in the comments section below!