Who is Normandy Vamos? 'American Idol' Season 20 contestant sues producers for 'unfair business practices'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Reality TV doesn't always turn out to be real. Sometimes, the only difference is some contestants choose to speak up against it while some choose to stay silent. However, one of the contestants of 'American Idol' Season 20 opted to speak out against ABC's talent show. She sued the production for wage theft.
Normandy Vamos, a former contestant of 'American Idol,' is suing the talent show. She also took out her anger on the judges. Vamos claimed that the celebrity judges used her as a "laughing stock" in the show, which, she claims, damaged her personality on national television. Keep reading to know what exactly Vamos' lawsuit claims against 'American Idol.'
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Who is Normandy Vamos?
Normandy Vamos was one of the contestants of 'American Idol' Season 20, where the Baltimore native impressed everyone with her voice. Moreover, her cute look was the cherry on top. She entered the stage wearing a pink outfit, unicorn shoes, and a carrot handbag. Her singing voice matched her personality. However, when she stopped singing and started talking with the judges they couldn't stop their laughter. Seeing the judges laugh at her voice offended Vamos. When Vamos announced that she was to perform Tia Turner's 'Proud Mary,' Katy Perry laughed her heart out and walked out, saying she was done with the show.
Why is Normandy Vamos suing 'AGT'?
Vamos, 30, appeared in the 20th Season of 'American Idol.' Her voice impressed Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan in the show. As a result, the contestant advanced to the next round of auditions. Her beef with the production is that she claims she was not paid for eight consecutive days of work. New York Post reports the aspiring singer from Baltimore saying, "Reality TV isn’t always real. There’s a lot that happens behind the scenes." She further threw the dirt saying, "Myself and hundreds of people worked about a week with no pay." Vamos claimed that she along with the others was told to stay in a Hollywood hotel on standby for 15 hours a day for eight consecutive days. For this, the contestants were paid nothing. According to Vamos, for such a long wait, she, along with the others, should have been paid wages plus overtime, and business expenses should have been reimbursed.
Vamos's lawsuit states that 'American Idol' producers violated the California labor code under the Private Attorneys General Act. And, according to the same, the producers are accused to be involved in "unjust enrichment and unfair business practices." The lawsuit filed is on behalf of Vamos and a few other contestants who had similar grudges. However, Vamos' name has come out in public.
Vamos' attorney Chantal Payton states, "American Idol’s producers seem to feel they can break labor laws and exploit ambitious young performers simply because they may be eager for a shot at becoming the next Jennifer Hudson or Carrie Underwood." The lawyer further claimed that Vamos and the other contestants who created content for 'American Idol' have all the rights of an employee and should be paid accordingly.
Vamos further shaded the show for deliberately making her look like a "laughing stock." The aspiring singer believes that her carrot-shaped purse, bunny-shaped crocs, and high-pitched voice were given special attention during the episode to create a comic scene. The press release brought out from Vamos' side claimed, "The contract between her high-pitched speaking voice and her lower-pitched singing, provided plenty of material for the judges to pick apart."
'AGT' is no stranger to lawsuits from contestants
It is not the first time that 'AGT' has been sued by a contestant. Several lawsuits have been filed against the show in the past. In 2017, a lawsuit was filed against Tyra Banks and the producers. The lawsuit remained anonymous and was referred to by the name Jane Doe. Jane claimed in the lawsuit of being 'physically manipulated.' Furthermore, another lawsuit was filed against the talent show by the family of a 79-year-old woman for supposedly dying from the injuries caused on set. In 2015, a contestant suffered a bad fall during filming and asked the show for $5 million to recover the damages caused. 'AGT' has also fallen into racial controversy. Gabrielle Union, who was fired from 'AGT', filed a lawsuit after departure, complaining about 'racial jokes, racist performances, sexual orientation, discrimination, race-related comments, and excessive focus on female judges'.
As of now, the amount requested by Vamos as compensatory damage has not yet been revealed to the public eye.