California fans of ‘Storage Wars’ may be familiar with the new drama surrounding the show. Dave Hester, one of the stars of the show, has filed a lawsuit against the production company, accusing it of breach of contract, wrongful termination, unfair business practices and other charges. He has accused A&E of defrauding the public and then firing him when he complained about it.
The lawsuit alleges almost the entire show is faked. He claims producers plant valuable items inside of the storage units and occasionally even stage an entire storage unit. Hester stated the show uses a company called Off the Wall Antiques to get the items planted in some of the storage lockers. He claims he voiced his concerns about the practice and was subsequently fired.
He is seeking over $750,000 in damages and states that punitive damages should be considered as a way to punish the company and deter it from taking the same actions with future reality shows. Hester’s lawsuit states the public had asked questions about the legitimacy of the show and if the items were planted for the show’s stars to discover. A&E allegedly issued a statement claiming they don’t use staging on the show, and the items are uncovered inside of the storage units.
When an employee suffers a wrongful termination at the hands of an employer, it can open the way for legal action. Hester is seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars in his lawsuit but hasn’t said anything about receiving his job back. He is seeking a jury trial for the case and hopes to successfully prove the company is responsible for wrongful termination. California employees who are fired after voicing concerns about the legality of a company’s actions may be entitled to seek legal assistance to hold employers responsible for such actions.
Source: Yahoo! News, “Ex-Star of ‘Storage Wars’ Says Show Is Fake,” Erin McLaughlin, Dec. 13, 2012