Poche claims the NDA she signed is unlawful and should be nullified.
Love Is Blind season 5 contestant Renee Poche has filed a lawsuit against Netflix and the production company behind the hit show, Delirium TV, claiming imprisonment while on the show and essentially being set up with "a walking red flag" when she got engaged to fellow contestant Carter Wall.
In court documents obtained by ET, Poche claims she entered into "an overreaching and unlawful talent agreement purporting to govern her appearance on Love Is Blind," like when she claimed production staff seized her phone, passport and driver's license on her first night in Los Angeles.
"When not filming, Poche was locked in her hotel room, unable to leave without a 'cast wrangler' accompanying her," the court documents state. "She was expressly forbidden from interacting not only with other participants but also with random hotel guests and staff. In some ways, and this is a sentiment shared by many participants, Poche felt like a prisoner."
The Austin, Texas, native went on to claim that she was paid a total of $8,000 from her appearances and "was made to believe that the stipend could be 'clawed back' and that she would be sued unless she agreed to all of production's demands, even if they made her feel unsafe."
Fellow season 5 contestant Tran Dang -- who also got engaged and also was not featured on the series -- made similar allegations in her lawsuit filed in October. ET has reached out to Delirium TV and Netflix for comment.
Poche ultimately hit it off with Wall, but that love story quickly unraveled following their engagement. Poche claims she was told all participants would be extensively screened through a rigorous background check process, psychological examinations and a compatibility assessment.
But "little did Poche know that she would be matched with a walking red flag: an individual named Carter Wall, who was unemployed with a negative balance in his bank account, homeless, violent, estranged from his family, and actively addicted to drugs and alcohol," she claimed in court documents. "Wall’s erratic and alarming behavior and emotional instability became glaringly obvious to Poche and the production staff. Poche became utterly terrified to be around him and made her misgivings clear to production."
She claimed production "had its own concerns about Wall, warning Poche to ensure he did not have access to firearms or other weapons." Poche claims she was "forced to spend long stretches of time alone with him," and that the production company "made it clear that she would subject herself to legal action if she were to discontinue her participation [on Love Is Blind] or otherwise refuse to move forward with the engagement. In this climate of fear and unease, Poche began to spiral physically, mentally, and emotionally."
After filming wrapped, Poche, whose storyline was not featured on season 5 of the hit show, "made limited public remarks about her horrifying experience." In response, Poche claims the production company "has initiated arbitration against [her] for purportedly violating her unlawful nondisclosure agreement." Poche claims Delirium TV is trying to "drive her into bankruptcy" by seeking "an exorbitant $4 million."
As part of her lawsuit, Poche claims the nondisclosure agreement "is itself illegal and unenforceable."
In a statement to ET, Poche recalled her experience on Love Is Blind as "traumatic" for a myriad of reasons.
"I felt like a prisoner and had no support when I let Delirium TV know that I didn’t feel safe. I tried to deal with these emotions over time, and eventually felt like I needed to share what had happened," she said. "I felt it was only right to let others know the truth of what all of the cast mates had to endure. In return for this, I am now being sued for $4 million despite earning only $8,000 for my participation on the show. I believe Delirium TV is trying to silence the abuse that occurs behind the cameras and ruin me for telling the truth."
Poche has hired powerhouse attorneys Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman to represent her in her quest to fight back against Netflix and Delirium TV's alleged exploitative tactics.
"At first I thought that these reality contracts were some sort of prank. It was only when Bethenny courageously brought to light the issue of this predatory practice that Bryan Freedman and I became aware of its rampant nature," said Geragos in a statement to ET, in reference to Bethenny Frankel, who has expressed concern over what she says are unrealistic nondisclosure agreements reality TV contestants are forced to sign in order to participate. "We have been inundated with hundreds of clients who all tell almost identical stories of being emotionally, physically, and sexually assaulted. These clients live in fear of being sued for millions if they report workplace wrongdoing and have been misled that they must suffer in silence or, like Renee, be bullied by lawsuits seeking to financially ruin them."
"What Renee suffered and Bethenny exposed is not just rampant but part of a dirty industry secret," Geragos continued. "We fully expect thousands of claimants to come forward when they realize that these so-called contracts are not just illusory but also illegal."
Freedman echoed Geragos' sentiments.
"These so-called Reality TV contracts are in reality illegal. They are designed for an illegal purpose and are void as a matter of law," he said. "We have hundreds of clients who are ready to assert their claims. Renee’s contract protects Delirium TV and Netflix from liability for FUTURE intentional misconduct and includes ruinous penalties in the millions of dollars for participants who dare to speak out about the unsafe working conditions on set."
"It is, in sum, a license to wreak emotional and financial havoc all while profiting for an eternity," he continued. "For years, the studios, production companies, and networks have wielded these contracts as both a sword and a shield, in a conspiracy to ensure silence from those who know the truth. This is exactly what Bethenny Frankel was referring to when she selflessly shined the light on these illegal practices."
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