Claire Bronfman Sends Legal Threat to TNT for ‘Rich and Shameless’ Documentary Portrayal

Claire Bronfman Sends Legal Threat to TNT for ‘Rich and Shameless’ Documentary Portrayal

Claire Bronfman, Seagram’s alcoholic successor who was tried for her alleged involvement with a self-help group on Nxivm, warns the creators of the TNT documentary series. Rich and shameless Pay close attention to portraying her as a charitable member of the organization who has been identified as having sex.

In a letter to the network, Warner Bros. Discovery and producer Tom Lindley, Bronfman’s attorney, question the show’s intention to deliberately sponsor DOS, a subgroup of Nxivm that deals with trafficked and abused women.

“While we hope this letter is superfluous, we are greatly concerned about the misleading and inaccurate promotional materials that have already been shown in connection with the show and are writing to advise you to continue taking care not to further offend Ms. Bronfman. “, – writes attorney Duncan Levin in the note received Hollywood reporter.

Rich and ShamelessWhich premiered on April 23 with an exhibition crazy girls Founder Joe Francis tells the stories of rich and famous people. TNT will release a part on May 22 called “Heir and Sex Cult” centering on Bronfman, who was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison for his role in Nxivm (pronounced NEX-ee-um).

Hollywood actors played a major role in recruiting some 18,000 people who paid thousands of dollars to take self-help courses for the group. Famous members included television actress Alison Mackey, best known for her role as Clark Kent’s childhood friend. Smolville. She was found guilty of manipulating women as sex slaves for the group’s leader, Keith Ranieri.

Bronfman, who hasn’t seen the episode, is concerned about the show’s title. Levin says this “gives the impression that Ms. Bronfmann was deliberately sponsored or otherwise associated with a ‘sex cult’.

The episode’s description states that Bronfman was “the patron of one of the most offensive cults of the 21st century”.

Levin argues that the show’s producers are not fully aware of the specific legal findings of the Bronfman lawsuit. He says his client was only involved with Nxivm, which he called “a reputable organization that has always been separate and distinct from DOS”.

“Not only is the evidence in the court records extremely clear on the matter, but the federal judge handling Ms. Bronfman’s case has made a specific court ruling on the matter,” Levine wrote.

Bronfman pleaded guilty to immigration fraud and identity theft charges. The judge who oversaw the trial explained that Bronfman had not been convicted of sex trafficking and that Bronfman did not appear to be aware of Ranieri’s crimes.

“I agree with Ms. Bronfman that the available evidence does not confirm that she knew about DOS until June 2017, or that she directly or knowingly financed DOS or other sex trafficking activities,” wrote U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis Bronfman. .

The judge said, “I don’t understand that Ms. Bronfman deliberately sponsored a sex cult.”

Bronfman spent at least $116 million on Nxivm, according to prosecutors. Critics of the group said he bankrupted them by prosecuting them and persuaded local prosecutors to investigate them.

The demand for non-fiction and genuine criminal content has given rise to a large number of defamation actions against manufacturing companies and the networks and broadcasters that carry them out. Netflix accused of violating defamation laws make a killer, Jeffrey Epstein: Dirty Rich s when they see usAmong other series that depict real-life events.

It is well known, however, that a libel suit is unlikely to convince people in the public interest. They must prove that the people who made the alleged defamatory statements knew they were lying and acted in reckless disregard for the truth.

If Bronfman decides to sue, showing that the show’s creators had sources who said the heir was knowingly sponsoring illegal DOS activities might be enough to stop them from doing so.

“I don’t see a difference between the standard that a documentary should follow and the standard of another news organization,” Levin said.

TNT and Warner Bros. Discovery did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

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