Left Hook Media is suing Truly Original LLC and Endemol USA Holding Inc., alleging the plaintiff has been denied compensation and executive producer credits for two spinoff series of Bravo’s “Summer House” and then retaliated against for complaining.
“Betrayal, iniquity and villainy are some of the most common themes in reality television,” the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit states. “While viewers have come to anticipate that their favorite reality television personalities will sometimes engage in ruthless back0stabbing, the same cannot be said for what hard-working, creative producers should expect from their business partners.”
Left Hook and its two principals, Scott Teti and Matt Odgers believed they had no choice but to sue their former partners for the basic compensation and credits for which they contracted and “indisputably earned” in connection with a hit series they created, according to the suit, which seeks at least $1 million.
A Truly Original representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the breach-of-contract suit filed Aug. 19.
More than a decade ago, Teti and Odgers, through their company, Left Hook, created the hit unscripted series “Summer House,” which is now in its eleventh season and was recently nominated for its first Emmy for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, the suit reads.
The pair did so according to a producing deal with Endemol on behalf of Left Hook and Endemol’s then-wholly-owned subsidiary, True Entertainment LLC, which through a merger became Truly Original LLC, the suit states.
Left Hook contracted to receive, among other things, 50% of Truly’s production fee for each season of “Summer House” as well as executive producer credits for both Teti and Odgers, the suit further states.
“Summer House” has been a resounding success, having spawned a number of derivative series including “Summer House: Martha*s Vineyard,” which ran for two seasons, and “In the City,” which premiered in May.
But Truly “knowingly and unapologetically breached” its “clear and indisputable contractual obligations,” the suit alleges.
Truly has “taken the absurd position” that “Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard” and “In the City” are not spinoffs of “Summer House” so that they do not have to make compensation or provide credits, the suit states.
Left Hook also believes it has not been paid its complete 50% share of Truly’s production fee for “Summer House,” having instead “surreptitiously charged” certain production costs to Left Hook in order to reduce its fee, the suit further states
In retaliation for asserting their rights, Truly removed Teti’s and Odgers’ executive producer credit on “Summer House” for seasons nine and 10 in an alleged further breach of the parties’ agreement, the suit states.
“Imagine Teti and Odgers’ surprise and embarrassment when they began receiving messages congratulating them on the “Summer House” Emmy nomination by people who had been involved with the show in the past — who were sending congratulations because Teti and Odgers created the series — only to find out they had been rendered ineligible to be considered” because of Truly’s alleged conduct, the suit states.
Truly refused to correct matters in time for Teti and Odgers to be included as statue-eligible producers, the suit alleges.