# ABC Sued by Bratty Teen on Wife Swap? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2010, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726 "2010-03-25T11:00:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/1 "2010-03-25T11:00:58Z")
> **[Wife Swap lawsuit: Beauty queen teen portrayed as spoiled](http://www.newyorkinjurynews.com/2010/03/25/wife-swap-lawsuit-beauty-queen-teen-portrayed-as-spoiled_201003252938.html)** > > Legal news for New York personal injury attorneys – A New York teen has filed a lawsuit against ABC, charging that the reality show is a sham. ABC’s “Wife Swap” is charged with ruining teen’s life Manhattan, NY (www.NewYorkInjuryNews.com) – A teen... Ya know… I really can’t stand the “Reality” shows, but this sort of epitomizes the types of “Real People” that appear on them. I’m glad I basically stopped watching TV. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/2 "2010-03-25T11:32:56Z")
Nice to see she’s proving to the world how she was painted in a bad light. A teenager who has the presumptuousness to sue Disney for 100 million dollars clearly is not a spoiled brat. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/3 "2010-03-25T12:04:58Z")
Post-traumatic stress disorder? :dubious: That’s not just hyperbole, that’s an insult to combat veterans and others who really do suffer from it. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/4 "2010-03-25T12:06:05Z")
Is my presumption that the people on Wife Swap, and similar shows are compensated incorrect? Do they not sign some sort of release that says footage of them becomes the property of the Disney Corp and no whining after the fact? I haven’t seen the episode in question but I’ve never seen an episode of Wife Swap where the participants were made to look sane and pleasant. Agreeing to be on a show that makes everyone previously invoved look ridiculous and them suing because you were made to look ridiculous? If there were any chance this would get as far as a jury I’d love to be on it. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/5 "2010-03-25T12:45:56Z")
> [@gwendee](#): > > Is my presumption that the people on Wife Swap, and similar shows are compensated incorrect? Do they not sign some sort of release that says footage of them becomes the property of the Disney Corp and no whining after the fact? > > I haven’t seen the episode in question but I’ve never seen an episode of Wife Swap where the participants were made to look sane and pleasant. > > Agreeing to be on a show that makes everyone previously invoved look ridiculous and them suing because you were made to look ridiculous? If there were any chance this would get as far as a jury I’d love to be on it. Did the kid personally sign a release, or did the parents do it for her on her behalf? If the latter, I could see that a lawsuit might hinge on the question of just how much the parents can agree to and how much choice the kid has in the matter. Not to say that she should necessarily prevail, just that it might be an interesting enough question to warrant legal inquiry. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/6 "2010-03-25T13:31:34Z")
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQRBaBYoXnM) YouTube video of the brat’s appearance on Wife Swap. Unless the rest of the episode was wall-to-wall footage of the brat being berated by the other mother, she doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Every piece of footage that paints her in a bad light comes right out of her own empty head. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/7 "2010-03-25T13:35:15Z")
> [@gwendee](#): > > I haven’t seen the episode in question but I’ve never seen an episode of Wife Swap where the participants were made to look sane and pleasant. I bet that’s because sane and pleasant people are: 1. Not interested in being on a show like that. 2. Boring to watch on TV. 3. Not Opal’s demographic. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/8 "2010-03-25T13:46:57Z")
> [@gwendee](#): > > Is my presumption that the people on Wife Swap, and similar shows are compensated incorrect? Do they not sign some sort of release that says footage of them becomes the property of the Disney Corp and no whining after the fact? It’s my understanding that minors cannot enter legal contracts. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/9 "2010-03-25T13:52:20Z")
Sorry, I hate the kid based on the clip that Justin linked to (I hate her creepy mommy and daddy more), but she was…what? 15? when the show was filmed? The kid isn’t/wasn’t able to make an informed choice about appearing and isn’t able to enter into a contract, therefore her consent was irrelevant. I’m fully in favor of suing the shit out of reality shows that put kids on. (That said, heh–couldn’ta happened to a better kid. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/10 "2010-03-25T13:54:52Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Sorry, I hate the kid based on the clip that Justin linked to (I hate her creepy mommy and daddy more), but she was…what? 15? when the show was filmed? The kid isn’t/wasn’t able to make an informed choice about appearing and isn’t able to enter into a contract, therefore her consent was irrelevant. I’m fully in favor of suing the shit out of reality shows that put kids on. > > (That said, heh–couldn’ta happened to a better kid. 😃 ) Bullshit.I hope ABC countersues the kid for being an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/11 "2010-03-25T14:00:37Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > (I hate her creepy mommy and daddy more) What I want to know is- how did Divine & Saul Rubinek’s ugly brother provide the genetic material for the soulless hottie? ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/12 "2010-03-25T14:02:31Z")
That dumb bitch is one of the best arguments I’ve seen yet for the neccessity of parenting licences. ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/13 "2010-03-25T14:04:12Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Did the kid personally sign a release, or did the parents do it for her on her behalf? If the latter, I could see that a lawsuit might hinge on the question of just how much the parents can agree to and how much choice the kid has in the matter. Not to say that she should necessarily prevail, just that it might be an interesting enough question to warrant legal inquiry. Considering this and some other comments about the viability of this lawsuit, perhaps the brat should sue her parents instead! ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/14 "2010-03-25T14:09:28Z")
Did anyone watch the episode? I started on YouTube but 20 seconds in, my brain hurt & my soul shrivelled at the sight of both moms. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/15 "2010-03-25T14:12:40Z")
Wait a second. Her defense is that the show’s producers instructed her to act badly and falsely portrayed her life by excerpting it from context. Your response is to look at a five-minute clip? A clip that someone overwrote with hate messages? Perhaps the kind of hate messages that have caused her to get death threats? You missed that part of the article? You really are being selective. She may be the most spoiled brat in the entire world. But you’re condoning death threats? I say sue them for the entire worth of the Disney studio and win. Then maybe all reality shows will be taken off the air and she will really have done her part for world peace. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/16 "2010-03-25T14:14:16Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > What I want to know is- how did Divine & Saul Rubinek’s ugly brother provide the genetic material for the soulless hottie? She’s got that creepy ugly generic beauty queen look - bleached hair and those scary, staring, blank, dark brown eyes. All she needs are a hefty pair of implants in a few years. … There’s something wrong, there, though with this poor thing. She changed schools and went into special ed classes? Sounds like she has Britney Spears type parents. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Facts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@The\_Facts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Facts)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/17 "2010-03-25T14:15:47Z")
I blame the parents. They made the monster. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/18 "2010-03-25T14:20:49Z")
Just because some producer tells you to act like an asshole doesn’t mean you are obligated to act like an asshole. If this behavior is not her usual she has no one to blame but herself for allowing it to happen. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/19 "2010-03-25T14:30:05Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Wait a second. Her defense is that the show’s producers instructed her to act badly and falsely portrayed her life by excerpting it from context. Yeah, it’s a shame her parents never taught her the word “no”, because then she could have said that to the crew. Usually a statement like that would be sarcastic because most parents would have taught their 15 year old the word “no”. Sadly, in this case, I have a feeling that she doesn’t know “no”. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726/20 "2010-03-25T14:30:51Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Wait a second. Her defense is that the show’s producers instructed her to act badly and falsely portrayed her life by excerpting it from context. Your response is to look at a five-minute clip? A clip that someone overwrote with hate messages? Perhaps the kind of hate messages that have caused her to get death threats? You missed that part of the article? You really are being selective. I was all ready to post a pretty decent refutation of this, but I see **Death of Rats** beat me to it. So allow me to quote him: “Just because some producer tells you to act like an asshole doesn’t mean you are obligated to act like an asshole. If this behavior is not her usual she has no one to blame but herself for allowing it to happen.” I could sit in on an interview with the soulless ghouls that run Wife Swap for twenty years and manage not to say half the shit this moron says in that five minute clip. And I bet I could do it when I was 15 too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-sued-by-bratty-teen-on-wife-swap/533726.md?page=2)