What happened on the set of “Bachelor in Paradise” this month brings up a question that hasn’t been asked in a while: What rights do these reality show contestants actually have?
I think everyone just accepts the fact that when you go on one of these shows, you pretty much sign away ALL your rights. And that’s generally true. CNN got a hold of the “Bachelor in Paradise” contract, and it’s pretty one-sided.
In a nutshell, it says they can portray you however they want. They can even manipulate REALITY, and edit footage to create situations that never happened.
And contestants just have to deal with the fact that their portrayal could be, “disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing or of an otherwise unfavorable nature.” They can also film you naked if they want to.
And they’re not liable for practically ANYTHING that can happen to you, including injury, emotional trauma, or . . . and this one’s relevant right now…”unwelcome (slash) unlawful contact or other interaction among participants.”
We may soon find out from Corinne Olympios whether contracts like this are actually enforceable.