Bristol Palin, the star of Lifetime’s Bristol Palin: Life’s a Tripp, is being sued again. And it’s not even by a different person. The show’s star and A&E (Lifetime’s parent company) are reportedly under fire in a new lawsuit filed June 28. Stephen Hanks, a talent manager, claims defamation and invasion of privacy and is seeking $75,000 against Palin and Lifetime.
Hanks first filed three weeks ago when Lifetime aired promos featuring him and Palin in a heated argument at a West Hollywood bar. Hanks alleges that the incident was filmed in September 2011 without his permission. He wanted Lifetime to stop airing the footage, citing defamation of character. This new suit comes about because Hanks has learned of “additional defendants.” He claims that because of Palin’s “deliberate, malicious and despicable” actions, he has “suffered harm to his profession and occupation and expended money as a result of the statements.”
The production company of Palin’s show, Associated Television International, is also under fire in a suit filed by Christopher and Kyle Massey, the latter of whom competed on Dancing with the Stars with Bristol. They claim that the producers of her Lifetime show have cut them out of the reality show altogether.
Honestly, I’m not sure why. The reason no one noticed the Masseys weren’t in the show wasn’t because of production cuts but rather because the show is airing to terrible ratings and has since been removed from Lifetime’s prime-time schedule.