Update on Faith’s Case 👩🏻⚖️
I’ve received requests for an update on Faith Stowers’s hearing last week. This is one of the few remaining “Reality Reckoning” cases.
As a reminder, Faith is suing Bravo, NBCUniversal, and Evolution for racial harassment and mistreatment while making VPR. She makes specific allegations of physical aggression by Lala Kent and verbal abuse by Brittany Cartwright. Faith is represented by Bryan Freedman, Kimberly Casper, and Jason Sunshine, from Freedman’s law firm. This team also represents Rachel Leviss in her case against Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix, and Justin Baldoni in all cases versus Blake Lively. Litigation “by the press” and public relations issues surround all of these cases.
Faith sought to have her arbitration agreements, part of the contracts she signed to appear on Bravo, thrown out. If she had won this motion, her case could proceed in the district courts and remain in the public eye. She specifically argued that Bravo’s contracts were “unconscionable” because of their “take it or leave it” nature.
Faith lost this motion. Going forward, her case will proceed through confidential arbitration, with no public court filings or any further articles in the press expected.
There are some VERY interesting implications of the judge’s order:
As the arbitration clause is valid, all of the other terms of Faith’s contracts with the network and production might be deemed or expected to be valid too. The validity of Bravo’s contracts is a big issue in a few of the Bravo cases.
If Faith’s arbitration clause is valid, then Rachel Leviss’s arbitration clause very likely is valid too. If Rachel succeeds in her attempt to find evidence from Scandoval to use to sue Bravo or Evolution (footage of discussions with Tom, evidence of video sharing), it is very likely that her case (and Tom’s and Ariana’s) would shift to confidential arbitration as well. Entirely out of the public eye.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s various contracts also probably contain arbitration clauses. It will be very interesting to see if, when Freedman is repping a defendant/alleged harasser, he actually makes motions to enforce those clauses, taking Baldoni’s cases private. Or if he leaves all open for review (and media discussion) by litigating in a traditional court.
TLDR - Faith lost her motion. This case is going to a confidential process for resolution.
No more court updates here, but more 🫖 to come in other cases soon! Nosh nosh 🥪