Jeremy Hartwell was cast on season 2 of the Netflix series.
Jeremy Hartwell has filed a lawsuit against Netflix. Last month, the Love Is Blind star filed a lawsuit against the streaming service and the show's production company, making a series of allegations about how he and other cast members were treated during the filming of the series.
According to the court docs, which were obtained by ET, Hartwell's lawsuit is "a proposed class action" with himself and any persons who signed a similar agreement with Netflix or either of the production companies within four years of his filing.
While filming Love Is Blind and other series, Hartwell claims that the defendants "maintained excessive control over virtually every aspect of the lives of their shows' cast, including exerting complete domination over their time, schedule, and their ability to eat, drink, and sleep, and communicate with the outside world during the period of employment."
In doing so, Hartwell claims, the defendants "created and maintained unsafe and inhumane working conditions for the cast of the shows."
Kinetic Content, the production company that heads up Love Is Blind, denies Hartwell's allegations, telling ET in a statement, "Mr. Hartwell's involvement in season 2 of Love is Blind lasted less than one week. Unfortunately, for Mr. Hartwell, his journey ended early after he failed to develop a significant connection with any other participant. While we will not speculate as to his motives for filing the lawsuit, there is absolutely no merit to Mr. Hartwell's allegations, and we will vigorously defend against his claims."
In addition to Kinetic Content, ET has reached out to Netflix and Delirium TV, LLC for comment.
Meanwhile, Hartwell offers up examples of the alleged "unsafe and inhumane working conditions." According to him, the defendants allegedly failed "to provide legally mandated off-duty meal periods and rest periods," adding that he and others were allegedly only allowed "to rest at their hotel living quarters for a few hours in between late nights on set and early morning call times."
Additionally, Hartwell claims, he and others were forced "to give up all forms of identification, wallets, phones, cash, and credit and debit cards," which allegedly eliminated their "ability to leave the hotel living quarters or production set."
"At times," Hartwell claims, "defendants left members of the cast alone for hours at a time with no access to a phone, food, or any other type of contact with the outside world until they were required to return to working on the production."
Hartwell additionally alleges that food and drink were restricted "at all hours of the day."
"Defendants regularly refused timely food and water to the cast while on set severely restricting the availability of hydration opportunities. Even at the hotel living quarters, food was restricted to the point of severe hunger," Hartwell alleges. "Defendants, having knowledge of the fact that cast member at times would be starving, instructed the hotel staff to not provide food to any cast member that asked them for food because of hunger, in a clear effort to ensure that the cast would continue to be deprived of food outside of the presence of the production team."
Hartwell claims that the only drinks he and others were "regularly provided" were "alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, energy drinks, and mixers," further alleging that they "were encouraged to consume alcohol throughout the entire day and were plied with an unlimited amount of alcohol without meaningful or regular access to appropriate food and water to moderate their inevitable drunkenness."
"The combination of sleep deprivation, isolation, lack of food, and an excess of alcohol all either required, enabled, or encouraged by defendants contributed to inhumane working conditions and altered mental state for the cast," Hartwell claims. "... The cast was more prone to injury due to their excessive intake of alcohol, minimal intake of food, and sleep deprivation. The cast were forced to perform in various states of fatigue, hunger, and drunkenness on top of working excessive hours, leading to an unsafe and unhealthful environment."
Hartwell also claims in the docs that the defendants "willfully misclassified employees as independent contractors," while, in actuality, he alleges, they were "entitled to protections under California law." One example, according Hartwell, is that he and others allegedly worked up to 20 hours per day, seven days per week, for a flat rate of $1,000 a week. That, Hartwell claims, works out to less than minimum wage and does not include overtime pay.
Hartwell additionally alleges that, in the contract for the show, it was required that cast members pay $50,000 in "so-called liquidated damages" if they left the show during production or otherwise breached their contract. That stipulation, Hartwell claims, was "a scare tactic to exert further control and maintain the cast members' compliance during production."
Through his lawsuit, Hartwell, who is requesting a jury trial, is seeking unpaid overtime compensation, unpaid minimum wages, waiting time penalties, statutory penalties, restitution, declaratory and injunctive relief, attorneys' fees and costs, prejudgment interest, and other appropriate relief. He is also seeking all civil penalties that may be pursued under the California Labor Code as a result of the defendants’ allegedly unlawful conduct, declaratory and injunctive relief, attorneys' fees and costs, prejudgment interest, and other relief and penalties.
Hartwell, who was cast on season 2 of Love Is Blind, did not get engaged on the series, and thus was not featured after the conclusion of the pods phase of the show.
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