Ellen Degeneres gets sued

[jdb in AZ]

Ellen made fun of a real estate agent Teetee Pierce on t.v. and now the woman is suing for emotional distress. The actual spelling of the woman's name is Titi and of course Ellen mis-pronounced it. Ellen showed a real estate sign with the name on it, and instead of enjoying the free publicity Ms. Pierce is complaining the show didn't block out her cell # on the sign, and Titi supposedly received hundreds of calls during a family funeral. Which begs the question, why didn't Ms. Pierce turn off her cell during the funeral?

Titi claims no one has made fun of her name before. Where on earth did she go to school?

I realize people love to sue celebrities -- when Dave Letterman said something "iffy" his show played a jingle "oh no, we're gonna be sued!" He was more mean-spirited than Ellen, who gives away a lot of $$$$ on her show.

I'm betting this will be settled long before it goes to trial. How would you handle it?

 

[Planogirl]

If it's from a sign, it sounds like it might be in the public domain. I'm no lawyer though.

Ellen might just settle to make the money grubber go away.

 

[ronandannette]

I have to wonder why on earth Ellen picked some random, obscure private citizen to ridicule on international television. Couldn't she think of anything else funny to say? Totally unnecessary IMO. I've got no thoughts on the lawsuit, although I agree stuff like this is generally considered a nuisance and settled by the defendant.

 

[msjprincess]

I have to wonder why on earth Ellen picked some random, obscure private citizen to ridicule on international television. Couldn't she think of anything else funny to say? Totally unnecessary IMO. I've got no thoughts on the lawsuit, although I agree stuff like this is generally considered a nuisance and settled by the defendant.

It was from a segment where viewers send in pictures of funny signs. Sort of like when Jay Leno used to do the funny wedding announcements.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

It will probably get settled with a non-disclosure agreement included, but I bet she gets paid.

 

[ronandannette]

It was from a segment where viewers send in pictures of funny signs. Sort of like when Jay Leno used to do the funny wedding announcements.

You'd think then, that an Assistant Producer or something could have called the person and gotten a waiver signed before they used it. If I was just going along, minding my own business and somehow found myself being made sport of on tv, I'd be pretty ticked off too. And for anybody that thinks the Realtor should be happy for the "free advertising", how many of those calls do you really think are from prospective clients?? And I wonder how the "boss" feels about it? Most realtors work for a brokerage; presumably their logo would have been on the sign, connecting their firm to somebody's name being turned into a joke only a grade 6 boy would find amusing.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Dumb. If you're name is Titi, you've probably been made fun of plenty before. Claiming you haven't been is silly. Of course you have been. Waiting until someone with deep pockets does it and suing is lame.
If her real name is Titi she should be made at whoever named her.

 

[rigs32]

Talk show hosts have been making fun of signs for decades.

There's a funeral home company in Buffalo that was shown every now and again. But what do you expect when your company is named Amigone.

 

[mrsksomeday]

Dumb. If you're name is Titi, you've probably been made fun of plenty before. Claiming you haven't been is silly. Of course you have been. Waiting until someone with deep pockets does it and suing is lame.
If her real name is Titi she should be made at whoever named her.

She states no one has ever made fun of her name before Ellen.

 

[msjprincess]

Dumb. If you're name is Titi, you've probably been made fun of plenty before. Claiming you haven't been is silly. Of course you have been. Waiting until someone with deep pockets does it and suing is lame.
If her real name is Titi she should be made at whoever named her.

Especially if your last name is Pierce.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

Especially if your last name is Pierce.

Good thing she didn't go into the military. Could you imagine saying her last name first then first name last?
I wonder how it is really pronounced?

 

[E&Cmom]

As someone with a not so great maiden name ( not as bad as her name) I seriously doubt that no one ever made fun of her name in her whole life. It obviously got the attention of the person that sent in the photo and probably not the first.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

She states no one has ever made fun of her name before Ellen.

She lied.

 

[topolino]

I don't blame the woman at all. Even if she did lie about never having been made fun of in the past, it's a lot different when it's done on national TV and while her phone number was being shown.

Also, the woman is African-American and the name is of Nigerian origin. I'm not saying Ellen's choice to mock her was racially motivated, but it certainly showed some cultural insensitivity.

 

[L&Lfan]

Don't they usually block out the phone numbers on these mockery segments? Someone definitely dropped the ball here.

 

[jrmasm]

Sounds like a grown up snowflake to me.

 

[Jennasis]

Is her phone number on the sign? If she's advertising her number, I don't think she can sue someone for showing it. Sue for mockery? Is there a law for that? SNL is in trouble...

 

[sunshinehighway]

She states no one has ever made fun of her name before Ellen.

Oh she's been made fun of before. That name is begging to be made fun of.

 

[goofinoff]

I think I'm going to sue Ellen for not giving my business any free publicity. I mean if she's doing it for Ms. Titi Pierce she should be doing it for all of us, right? I'm calling my lawyer!

 

[kimblebee]

I don't blame the woman at all. Even if she did lie about never having been made fun of in the past, it's a lot different when it's done on national TV and while her phone number was being shown.

Also, the woman is African-American and the name is of Nigerian origin. I'm not saying Ellen's choice to mock her was racially motivated, but it certainly showed some cultural insensitivity.

Absolutely not. From what I've seen, Ellen is the kindest, gentlest person. There's no way she made a cultural joke at someone's expense.