Former ‘X Factor’, Sally Hessnice contestant sues claiming her audition was “altered”.
Sally Hessnice says the producers of X Factor, Simon Cowell’s singing competition series, distorted her voice and manipulated footage of her audience.
According to reports, Hessnice filed a complaint Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court saying the producers manipulated her performance which aired in September 2013 to make her look bad. She is currently suing the production companies behind X-Factor – Fremantle, Syco and Blue Orbit.
States her complaint, “The Audition had been altered in the following ways: a.) Plaintiff’s voice (i.e., pitch, reverb and vocal legato) was altered to sound ‘screechy’ and unprofessional; b.) the positive audience reaction was replaced with footage of a disinterested audience; and c.) the judges’ original comments and reactions to Plaintiff were re-filmed (without Plaintiff present) to show a negative response to Plaintiff.
“In addition, the stage manager prompted the Plaintiff to walk around the entire stage. During the Audition, Plaintiff noticed the surface of the stage was inconsistent, with ‘pillowy’ surfaces scattered throughout. This was an intentional effort by Defendants to disrupt her performance and pre-arrange the outcome of the Audition,” it continues. [THR]
She argues that because she is a professional singer, the manipulated audition has ruined her reputation.
Hessnice also claims the audition violated a federal law that prohibits “engag[ing] in any artifice or scheme for the purpose of prearranging or predetermining in whole or in part the outcome of a purportedly bona fide contest of intellectual knowledge, intellectual skill, or chance.”
She wants $2 million in damages and is suing for intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and gross negligence.
You can watch her audition below:
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