Follow Zap2it:
'American Idol': Simon Cowell's farewell crasher Ian Benardo files discrimination claim [Updated]
Twitter
Google
UPDATE (10 p.m. ET): Benardo e-mailed to tell us that he's seeking $300 million in damages, not $300,000 as initially reported. The post is corrected below, along with a "no comment" from a show rep.A former "American Idol" rejectee who "crashed" a performance saying goodbye to Simon Cowell in last season's finale is now claiming the show discriminated against him.
Ian Benardo, who auditioned for "Idol" in 2007 -- you may (or may not) remember his version of Laura Branigan's "Gloria" -- has filed a complaint for workplace discrimination with New York's Division of Human Rights.
In a fax sent to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Benardo claims he was asked to appear on the "Idol" finale along with a few other memorable bootees as part of comedian Dane Cook's farewell to Cowell. He then grabbed the microphone from Cook, proclaiming a "Kanye moment" and rambling for a few seconds about how he was replacing Cowell before the show cut to commercial. (His audition video and his effort on the finale are here.)
In the complaint, Benardo says the "Idol" powers that be "exploited my non-conforming appearance and sexual orientation. They did this by directing me to 'gay it up' in any appearance I made on camera," according to the Journal-Constitution. "... Although characterized as an 'audition' to the public at large, in fact, I was and was paid as an employee of respondents for each appearance."
Based on the word "audition," we're assuming Benardo is referring to his 2007 tryout, which took place in New York. The complaint also says other "Idol" employees used anti-gay slurs and that the show (he calls it "the workplace") "was permeated with discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, insults and hostile and offensive comments that were so severe as to alter my working conditions." He's asking for $300 million in damages.
An "Idol" rep says the show has no comment on the claim.
UPDATE: Bernardo tells TMZ that he is "not gonna stand" for the "rampant homophobia" on "American Idol" and that he "is going to bring 'American Idol' down."
Follow Zap2it and Zap2itRick on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.
Photo credit: FOX
Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest news and buzz
Related pics
Zap2it Elite Sheet Must Reads from the Web's In-Crowd
Our Partners
Whatta douche.
Whatta douche.
Hi, All I can say maybe ever body that audition for AI that gets rejected should sue like this dude. He won't win the case at all because he sign a contract when he went to audition for AI so he is out of gas.
If this guy gets a dime, I'm going to audition in every single city. I'll be rrrrrrrrrich, but never show my face on Tv.
Whoever the lawyer is that accepted this client is going to be laughed out of business by his peers. WHAT A JOKE!!!
The client himself IS A JOKE!!!
This suit IS A JOKE!!! and if it's heard in court, then we need to sue our court system. These "lawsuits" are so absurd, I feel nauseated.
Ian Bernardo, can you say "Get a Life"? Okay lets be fair now: For all those who didn't make the cut for any show gig, job, loan or anything else applied for let's all SUE the Living Crape out of those we applied with. Yeah right! Like I said...GET A LIFE!
You earn what you get DUDE!
I'm sending a request to Gay HQ to revoke this stupid queen's gay card. As well as Piglette Perez Hitlon.
"Ian Bernardo" a very interesting name...exactly who are you? What's gay got to do with it??? Clay and Adam made it, but they can sing. What do you do except make a pest of yourself and and try to claim 15 mins for crashing a party and trying to exhort a lot of money from others.