Palin Show Lawsuit One of Several Against Bristol
Bristol Palin may have a new series on Lifetime but is being sued for the series that never made it to air. The suit follows the announcement that Palin also being sued for defamation by a patron at the Saddle Ranch bar.
Palin and her son Tripp were previously scheduled to star in a reality show for the Biography Channel, which would detail her experience competing on "Dancing With the Stars." She was to live with friends Kyle and Christopher Massey, but when the show didn't work out, the two decided to sue for "copyright infringement, breach of contract and unfair competition."
The Massey brothers allege that Palin's new series "Life's a Tripp" should have included them and is the reason that their series never made it to air. They have petitioned a judge for a permanent injunction against the Lifetime series, as well as monetary damages.
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"It is unfortunate that after months of trying to resolve this matter the professional way, we were left with no other course of action than to take legal action to protect ourselves," the boys' mother Angel told E! Online. "If you read the entire complaint, and particularly page 8-11, you will see how we created the show, registered the show and did all the leg work to bring this idea to TV and to the defendants, who stole our concept."
While Palin has not been personally named in the Massey's lawsuit, she is the subject of another case brought by a heckler at the Saddle Ranch bar. During filming for the Lifetime series, a man inside the bar called Palin's mother, Sarah, a "whore" and said that he hoped she would "go to hell."
The younger Palin responded, and the entire incident was captured on camera. Stephen Hanks, the heckler, has alleged that he didn't know he was on film at the time and has sued for defamation of character, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy. He is seeking unspecified damages in the suit.
"I wish Bristol success with her television show and much happiness in the future," Hanks said in a statement.
Palin's series, "Life's a Tripp," airs on Tuesdays on Lifetime."
