Former 'American Idol' contestant sues show, claiming she was overworked, underpaid, and made a 'laughing stock' by judges

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Former 'American Idol' contestant sues show, claiming she was overworked, underpaid, and made a 'laughing stock' by judges
Former participant Normandy Vamos.Normandy Vamos
  • Former "American Idol" contest Normandy Vamos has sued the production companies behind the show.
  • She alleged that they were overworked, underpaid, and signed away employee rights.
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A former participant on "American Idol" has sued the production companies behind the show, alleging that she was underpaid and set up in an audition that went viral.

According to a lawsuit filed on Friday by former participant Normandy Vamos, she and other contestants were treated as employees but not paid, working 15 hour days with little to no breaks. Vamos alleged that her final audition was partially set up for viral fame in a class action lawsuit that includes up to 400 former participants.

In the lawsuit, Vamos said that after a series of successful auditions, participants were invited to stay in a Los Angeles hotel during "Hollywood Week." At that point, Vamos' attorneys allege, the show should have classified the participants as employees and not volunteers under California law, as the episodes had the potential to be re-aired.

The contestants remained in the hotel for 15 hours a day on stand-by, for up to 8 days on end, waiting to be called for auditions without any pay, according to the lawsuit. The wage theft lawsuit also alleges that contestants were made to sign "work-for-hire" contracts that signed away their copyrights and license rights to performances.

Representatives for American Idol and ABC did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

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"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," Vamos's attorney, Chantal Payton, principal managing partner of Payton Employment Law, PC, said in a press release. "They treated them as so-called volunteers, when in reality they are employees who should be paid."

Payton also claimed in the press release that the judges made Vamos a "laughingstock" in the audition. Her lawyers claimed that when it was her turn, she was instructed to retrieve a carrot-shaped purse she owned in order to help create a viral moment. Judges leaned into her high-pitched speaking voice for an audition, the attorneys said in the statement.

"Reality TV isn't always real. There's a lot that happens behind the scenes," Vamos said in a press release. "Myself and hundreds of people worked about a week with no pay."

In the February 2022 audition, Vamos arrived holding the carrot purse and wearing bunny rabbit Croc shoes, leaving judge Katy Perry in shock upon hearing her voice. Perry briefly leaves the judge's table and returns before all the judges eventually vote Vamos to the next round.

"Fuck this job. I'm outta here!" Perry says in the lighthearted segment. The judges leave impressed by Vamos' low register performance of "Proud Mary."

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Vamos never appeared on the next round, and previously defended the show's decision not to have her advance on "Hollywood Week." She is no longer able to compete on the show as a 30 year-old, due to the show's cutoff age of 29.

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