Dave Hester sues A and E network and Original Productions for firing him after he complained about the alleged rigging practices.
- Dec 12, 2012
AceShowbiz - Former "Storage Wars" star Dave Hester is now at a legal war with A&E and Original Productions. Hester, who was one of the main buyers on the reality series, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the cable channel and the show's producers for wrongful termination.
In a document obtained by TMZ, Hester claims he was fired in October after complaining to producers that the show's rigged. Giving evidences, he reveals that producers planted a BMW mini car under a pile of trash and a pile of old newspapers announcing the death of Elvis Presley.
The lawsuit says the production company "regularly 'salts' the storage lockers that are the subjects of the auctions portrayed on the series with valuable or unusual items to add dramatic effect, even going so far as to stage entire storage units," and "manipulates the outcome of certain auctions by paying for storage units on behalf of the weaker cast members who lack both the skill and financial wherewithal to place winning bids."
Hester goes on stating that he was "not comfortable participating in this charade." He is seeking $750,000 in damages.
A representative for A&E says, "We do not know about a lawsuit being filed and we do not comment on pending or threatened litigation." On accusation of the rigging practices, the cable channel denies it, insisting that "there is no staging involved" and "the items uncovered in the storage units are the actual items featured on the show."
"Storage Wars" follows professional buyers who purchase items retrieved from unpaid lockers and auctioned off. It premiered in 2010 and becomes one of the hit shows on the channel. It spawns two spin-offs, "Storage Wars: Texas" which debuted in 2011 and "Storage Wars: New York" which will launch in January 2013.
