‘Love Island USA’ Ex-Staffers Sue Over Alleged Labor Law Violations
A new lawsuit enters the villa. Former Love Island USA staffers Jasmine Crestwell and Alex Rinks are suing ITV and NBCUniversal, claiming mistreatment of contestants on the Peacock dating show and violations of California labor laws.
In their lawsuit, obtained by People on the heels of Season 5’s premiere, Crestwell and Rinks claim that producers with a history of “racism and abusive practices” were hired to boost the show’s ratings.
And the suit alleges that executive producers “pressured female Islanders to engage in sexual relationships without regard for their personal preferences or genuine consent,” that they “were flippant with the concept of sexual consent,” and that they “openly commented on video feeds of female Islanders showering and having sex, creating a deeply uncomfortable work environment for women on set.”
Casey Durkin/Peacock
The suit also calls out producers’ treatment of Season 4 contestant Sereniti Springs, “one of the few women of color on the show,” whom producers allegedly impeded from forging connections with male co-stars. Executive producer Sophie Bush allegedly responded to a complaint from Crestwell about Springs’ treatment by saying that “none of the boys on the show like her” and the producers “would hate to see her get rejected.”
Rinks, meanwhile, raised a red flag about the “unsafe and unsanitary conditions in the show’s supposedly luxe ‘villa’ — in reality, a ramshackle, dilapidated ranch with inadequate plumbing and inoperable bathrooms.”
The lawsuit says that producers arranged a “safe space” to address Crestwell and Rinks’ concerns. But that meeting was a “trap,” and the two staffers were fired, the suit claims. Now they’re invoking a California law that makes illegal “retaliation against employees who make legally protected complaints of discrimination and OSHA violations.”
In a statement to People, a spokesperson for ITV America said, “This is a frivolous attack at an opportunistic moment, timed to the Season 5 debut, made by two former employees who were terminated for cause, purely in relation to their job performance. These characterizations are false. Love Island USA’s commitment to diversity and proven track record speaks for itself. We categorically deny the allegations and look forward to defending against these claims in a court of law.”
Love Island USA, Season 5, Now Streaming, Peacock
