Former X Factor "contestant" Sally Hessnice has filed a lawsuit against the producers, alleging that they both set her up for failure and later edited video of her audition to make her appear less enticing as a performer. As a professional vocalist away from television, Hessnice has alleged that the embarrassment that was her 2013 audition has resulted in her "reputation as a professional singer has been irreparably tarnished." And it's not just because Simon Cowell was more cutting than usual.
The claims: "The Audition had been altered in the following ways: a.) Plaintiff's voice (i.e., pitch, reverb and vocal legato) was altered to sound 'screechy' and unprofessional; b.) the positive audience reaction was replaced with footage of a disinterested audience; and c.) the judges' original comments and reactions to Plaintiff were re-filmed (without Plaintiff present) to show a negative response to Plaintiff."
Interesting claims but all difficult to prove. Hessnice can hardly claim to have been homed in on the audience members' faces as she performed and, even if her allegations that the sound was doctored are true, there aren't any other recordings to proved the fact. Her allegations that the judges' reactions were switched out can only be confirmed if a member of the audience (or the show's production team) comes forward to corroborate.
The biggest issue could be her claims that the stage was full of random, "pillowy" areas that were designed, again allegedly, to cause contestants to trip up. Obviously the production team couldn't switch entire stages during filming, so it begs the question how they got the "likable" contestants to avoid them. The entire lawsuit will require Hessnice to find a reason why X Factor and its producers would find reason to try singling her out for elimination.
She's seeking $2 million in damages, as well as an injunction to prevent the defendants from using the footage further.
