Jonathan Towns and Ana Rivera Towns, former contestants on the reality show The Amazing Race, are suing the network CBS for $8 million over the program’s editing, which they describe as “false and highly harmful.”
The couple, who competed in the series’ 37th season, filed their lawsuit last Wednesday (4) in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to the website Deadline. According to the outlet, the duo is representing themselves in the case against CBS, Paramount, and producers ABC Signature and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
During the season, the couple became known to viewers for frequently arguing throughout their journey, with Jonathan often venting his frustrations toward Ana. Jonathan was even reprimanded more than once for apparently humiliating Ana during the program. Despite everything, the duo reached the final and finished in third place.
Now, the two argue that the program’s editing carried out a “smear campaign” against them by “constructing a false and highly damaging portrayal” of Jonathan in ways “that were not applied to any other contestant in the production.”
“The resulting broadcast, disseminated to tens of millions of viewers on a nationally distributed television network, falsely portrayed Jonathan Towns, a private individual with no prior public profile, as a morally depraved, brutal, and abusive spouse,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also claims that after a “breakdown” and “clear emotional distress” from Jonathan during the filming of the series hosted by Phil Keoghan, he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Instead of helping him, the lawsuit alleges that the show’s producers convinced the couple not to leave the program and assured them that nothing deceptive was happening with his portrayal. Even so, the complaint claims the series depicted Jonathan as someone who actively engages in “intentional emotional abuse against his spouse.”
The couple is seeking $8 million in damages, as well as a public apology and a re-edited version of season 37 with “appropriate disclaimers” related to Jonathan’s diagnosis.
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Photos: Reprodução / TV. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
