Lisa Rinna, Lisa Vanderpump Spinoff Lawsuit Would Be Tossed: EXCLUSIVE

LOS ANGELES (LALATE EXCLUSIVE) – Lisa Rinna is threatening to sue Lisa Vanderpump and/or Evolution Media in the event that Rinna was used to anchor a new spinoff, Rinna has just posted. But LALATE can report that any such lawsuit would be dismissed promptly by the court because of the Real Housewives contract that all talent sign up for. The last time this came up in court was in the Kandi Burruss Kim Zolciak lawsuit, reported extensively by LALATE at time.

Lisa Rinna is so furies that Lisa Vanderpump and Evolution Media (RHOBH) may have used her to anchor a spinoff series (about Vanderpump Dogs) that Rinna is demanding compensation. In a new post, Rinna says she is contacting her attorney.

But LALATE can report that is legally unfounded. First, Rinna’s contract with NBC Universal is ostensibly no different than other Housewives contracts. All networks that retain talent’s services in a reality TV obtain lifetime rights to that depiction. Moreover reality TV contracts carry provisions that talent may often be depicted in false light. So when a co-star says Eddie Judge is gay, Judge can’t sue BravoTV. When Vicki Gunvalson asks if Kelly Dodd was taking narcotics, Dodd can’t sue BravoTV nor Gunvalson.

Moreover, depiction rights transcend hte program. Namely, BravoTV can fire a talent in 2019 but still use that footage in a future season. That is common when they do flashbacks in Real Housewives land.



Lisa Rinna threatens to sue over LVP getting another spin off! Thoughts? #LisaVanderpump #lisarinna #RHOBH #vanderpumpdogs pic.twitter.com/LWrgeBFTT5

— BravoSnarkSide (@SnarkBravo) March 7, 2019



Here, Rinna’s contention is not that her footage is being used in another show (it’s not) but that her footage is being used to sell another show. That warrants no legal actionable grounds. In essence, talent from one show can’t sue a network, or a producer, or a production company, saying their footage helped sell another show. Such footage is always used to sell another show. RHOC was used to sell RHONY. RHONJ was used to sell RHOBH.

In 2013, LALATE reported that Kim Zolciak put part of her RH contract into public record in (successfully) missing Kandi Burruss’ suit against her (filed by Phaedra Parks. “Quickly by April, Kim filed an extensive motion to dismiss. Attached to that motion to dismiss is the notable “Exhibit B”. The document has become one of the most surprising revelations to come out of a Housewives lawsuit in recent memory. Exhibit B states that shows produced for Bravo by production company True Entertainment (RHOA, I Dream of NeNe) allegedly prohibits cast members from suing one another. While Kim filed Exhibit b under seal, her attorney made the not-so apt move to release excerpts of the contract to the public in Kim’s motion.” Of note, no spinoff has been confirmed as green-lighted by the network.