The complaint, which also names NBC Universal, Bravo, and production company 51 Minds, encompasses 16 causes of action, including sexual battery, assault, and harassment; retaliation, wrongful termination; and infliction of emotional distress.
Allegations of misconduct
As per legal documents obtained by PEOPLE magazine, the event in question took place on July 3, 2022, when the production of the show’s fourth season was underway in Sardinia, Italy. The artist, who worked in hair and makeup, alleges that she was directed by the production team to take water and snacks to a hotel room belonging to one of the show’s stars, who was clearly not sober. Once inside the room, she claims the actor physically attempted to block her from leaving, and to escape she had to “fight her way out”.
Subsequent reports and alleged retaliation
After the incident, Suarez relayed King’s behaviour to co-executive producer Ryan Veercamp and Suarez’ boyfriend, Grey Duddleston, a camera operator on the show. The complaint details that production did acknowledge King’s misconduct; showrunner Courtland Cox indicated that King not only admitted to the allegations but also expressed regret over them. Despite this admission, however, King was not sent packing and was instead put on notice—one more incident and he was out.
About two weeks later, Duddleston accuses King of showing more inappropriate conduct. Among other things, Duddleston claims to have seen King:
- Grope female crew members
- Remove a cast member’s swimsuit top without consent
- Make lewd comments to an audio technician
- Grab the genitals of two camera operators
Duddleston said he saw King do these things and reported them to company higher-ups. Hearing these accusations makes me queasy.
The lawsuit contends that the behaviour of King was not just ignored but that the production team instead retaliated against the two women. They were allegedly told that they could not talk about the incident, and, in fact, were screamed at for doing so initially. It was mentioned that if a conversation had to be had, have it in a way that pretended no conversation had happened. After this, their lives and the lives of those they were close to were asked to be kept the events on the shelf in a pretend-no-issue-was-happening kind of way. It was, they claim, an attempt to use unpaid labor to keep King’s image intact.
Legal action and demands
Suarez and Duddleston have reacted to these events by filing a lawsuit that seeks to make them whole for their claimed injuries and losses. They want to be compensated with a whole multitude of things they hope will recover their supposed losses: damages, civil penalties, punitive damages, and gnarly attorneys’ fees. The defendants in the case: Gary King, NBC Universal, Bravo, 51 Minds, and a handful of other (mostly) associated entities.
Network’s response and ongoing concerns
Bravo has affirmed its dedication to preserving a secure and esteemed working environment for all individuals on its reality show sets. The network claims that the complaints brought forth in July 2022 were thoroughly probed at that time, and deemed warranted, with some form of corrective action promised as an outcome. But no one outside the network appears to have been told what this action was, if it really took place at all.
This lawsuit comes during a time when the reality television industry is under the microscope, with many discussions swirling around about workplace conduct and safety. The charges being brought against King, along with those already brought against other reality television industry bigwigs, emphasize just how difficult it is for production companies and networks to maintain a safe workplace for all employees, both on camera and off.
As the legal proceedings move forward, the situation highlights the critical need to confront and correct unacceptable conduct in the workplace—especially in the notoriously intense atmosphere of producing reality television.
Bravo, a channel under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella, shows Below Deck Sailing Yacht in New Zealand. It airs at 8:30 on Thursday evenings.
This article is based on the allegations in legal filings and on the accounts of people that the magazine has talked to. Gary King and the other defendants have not talked to the media about this story. As of the time of this article’s publication, the media had not gotten a response from King or any of the other defendants.
