Anne Greene, an actress, recently lost a case in court in which she claimed she was being sexually harassed and placed in a dangerous work environment after being asked to participate in sex scenes. The court also said that the actress could be sued for breaching her contract.
Greene was hired to star in Cinemax’s Femme Fatales. Before she auditioned for the role, she was sent a “sizzle reel” showing that the television series was an erotic show targeted at adults whose principal cast members were partially nude and engaged in sex scenes. The production company also alleges that Greene and her agent had received casting breakdowns for roles that would require partial nudity, and Greene expressed no reservations. By the time the actress was hired to play a role in one episode, 13 episodes of the show had already aired, which producers say she could have watched to get an idea of what the show was like.
According to Greene, the script changed. A scene was added that made her very uncomfortable. Greene informed the producers that she was not comfortable with that particular scene. The production company says that it accommodated those concerns. On the second day of filming, the actress refused to perform topless. Because so much of the show had already been filmed, the production company says that it was too late to replace her, so it allowed to her use certain cover-up devices despite the network’s policy against it. The production company also had to hire a body double and spend substantial time and money dealing with Greene’s issues.
The production company said that had Greene expressed her concerns earlier, it would have replaced her with another actress Greene went ahead with the show, but says she did so under duress because she was threatened with a $100,000 lawsuit under the terms of her contract if she refused.
After the episode was filmed, Greene sued, claiming that she was bullied into performing nude scenes, sexually harassed, and was placed in a dangerous work environment. In her lawsuit, she said she would never have agreed to the role if she had known it involved “soft-core porn.” The production company filed a cross-complaint, stating that Greene had violated her contract. Greene then claimed that the production company’s actions were improper retaliation. A Los Angeles Superior Court ruled against Greene, as well as an appellate court. The case is now going back to the L.A. Superior Court for a trial.
If this case makes it to trial, it should be interesting. Although sexual harassment is illegal, it may be difficult for an actress to claim she was sexually harassed by being asked to perform scenes that she had been warned about. On the other hand, it is very possible that she was not given full disclosure and was later retaliated against for complaining about the harassment.
Under both state and federal law, it’s illegal to harass an employee or a job applicant because of that person’s sex. Harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other types of harassment of a sexual nature. At Liberty Law, Micha Star Liberty and Seth I. Rosenberg believe that no individual should be sexually harassed at work, and if they are the victim of sexual harassment, should report it immediately.
If you have been the victim of sexual harassment, call the Oakland sexual harassment attorneys at Liberty Law at 510-645-1000 or 415-896-1000. Our attorneys will be happy to provide you with a free consultation on your case. Call us today to learn more or to schedule your consultation.
