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(Image source: A&E)
BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN
The fired star of A&E’s number 1 reality show says the wildly popular “Storage Wars” is a fraud.
David Hester says the show fired him after he complained about the show being fake.
“Storage Wars” follows bidders at storage auctions hoping to score big with surprise finds in abandoned storage units.
According to the network, its second season averaged 4.7 million total viewers. With that many eyeballs, it’s not surprising Hester’s claim is getting plenty of buzz. As Inside Edition explains...
“In a lawsuit, he claims the producers regularly salt or plant the storage lockers with valuable or unusual items to create drama and suspension, and the allegation the bidding is sometimes rigged.”
A&E hasn’t commented, citing pending litigation, though the show’s auctioneer told TMZ it’s all legit, and that it’s impossible for A&E to tamper with the units before filming.
But Hester says “nearly every aspect of the show” is staged. For example, he alleges, the network once planted a pile of newspapers reporting the death of Elvis Presley.
But to his wrongful termination claim, The Hollywood Reporter says Hester’s relying on an interpretation of legislation that bans fixing game shows, “...although it's debatable whether a reality series like Storage Wars applies.”
Hester is reportedly seeking some $750,000 in damages.