Simon Cowell is facing massive legal heat after a former "X-Factor" contestant launched a massive lawsuit against him.
According to NME, contestant Katie Waissel sued Cowell over an alleged breach of duty of care while she was still competing in the seventh season of the series in 2010.
Waissel was one of the many acts who participated in the reality music competition with One Direction at the time. While the big boy band finished third, Waissel placed seventh.
In a 2021 interview, Waissel revealed that when she was dubbed as the "most hated" contestant of the series, she had to go to therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, suffered panic attacks, and even suicidal thoughts afterward.
"I am pursuing a civil case of personal injury under negligence, which pertains to duty of care," she said in a statement to The Sunday Times. Waissel even revealed that she was paid £1 per appearance on the live show.
After her stint as a musician, Waissel pursued a law education and training so that she could sue Cowell's Syco Entertainment.
She studied at BPP University in London after getting a scholarship and finishing her courses remotely.
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However, an obstacle she might be facing would be the statute of limitations on cases like this. Usually, a limit of three years is only granted to cases like these. Should they be permitted to go ahead, they will need to convince a judge to overturn.
"The show ruined my life," she told the publication. "There are so many of us who have been so trapped and it's not fair, there was a huge imbalance in power. I just wanted to be able to understand [the contracts] and to protect people from being manipulated in the future."
Waissel wasn't the only "X-Factor" contestant who claimed that they were poorly treated by the show; Season 6 duo Jedward and Waissel's season mates Rebecca Ferguson and Cher Lloyd also voiced out their concerns in the past.
"I believe I can leverage my past experiences for the greater good and respectfully continue my efforts in building a safer industry as a whole, not only for those new entering it, but to provide a sense of justice and peace to all," she further said.
As of this writing, Simon Cowell's team has not yet responded to the allegations.
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