Woman Sues MTV for Depiction on The Real World D.C.
Golzar Amirmotazedi, who is suing MTV for her depiction on 'The Real World D.C.'
In the suit, Golzar Amirmotazedi, 22, says that during one episode, cast members Andrew and Josh plied her with alcohol at a bar, brought her home, kicked her out after she refused sex and then proceeded to make fun of her. As a consequence of her brief appearance on one of the episodes (our recap of the episode in question is here; it's the second of the two), the suit claims that Amirmotazedi was subject to ridicule in online forums, lost her self-esteem and became depressed, left her job and was denied other employment, had trouble sleeping, and suffered from nausea.
You'd figure that as long as MTV has been making The Real World, they'd have a developed a pretty airtight release to protect against lawsuits of this kind. And they do. The four-page release (a .PDF version is here) the show's producers have everyone who might appear on the show sign covers everything from how they can use the footage to a very distinct warning that any STDs contracted from sex with cast members are the sole responsibility of the person who contracts them. Two people we spoke to who didn't even appear on the show when it aired verified that they were asked to sign such a release, even though they only briefly appeared on camera.
So if Amirmotazedi signed the same release, doesn't that kill her case? Yes and no. The suit not only stresses that she was forced to drink eight to 10 alcoholic beverages (including shots of tequila and Jaegermeister), but it describes her as having a "slight build" and weighing "approximately 100 pounds," and that she "does not frequently drink alcoholic beverages." Her lawyers are trying to make the claim that she was far too drunk to consent to any legal document -- and that it was Andrew and Josh who got her drunk.
As for how she was portrayed on the show -- including a number of on-camera insults thrown her way by the cast members -- well, that's how the producers make the show what it is. One person we spoke to who appeared on the show told us that while she hung out at the house on numerous occasions, she was only featured briefly in two episodes. She also mentioned that she was subject to after-the-fact ridicule from some of the roommates, but generally she thought the show's editing "was fine."
Amirmotazedi's lawyers have asked for a jury trial.