Reality TV Can be so Ugly

[theworm[$]]

'Ugly' woman sues TV show in death of sister

Email this Story

Sep 20, 10:45 AM (ET)


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Texas woman has sued ABC's popular reality show "Extreme Makeover" for more than $1 million claiming among other things that an abrupt cancellation of her appearance on the program led to her sister's death.

Deleese Williams of Conroe, Texas, claims she came to Los Angeles to be a contestant on the show after undergoing a series of medical exams to determine if her crooked teeth and droopy eyes could be fixed and her small breasts enhanced, according the suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The suit starts with the blunt description: "Deleese Williams is considered ugly" and says one doctor promised her "a Hollywood smile like Cindy Crawford."

To prepare for the show, the producers sent a crew to Texas in January 2004 to interview Williams and her family.

The suit claims the "Extreme Makeover" crew manipulated Williams' sister, Kellie, into making cruel statements about Williams' looks.

The night before Williams was to begin her makeover, the show's producers told her it would take too long for work on her jaw to heal. They canceled her appearance and sent Williams home where Kellie, distraught over what she had said about her sister, eventually killed herself, according to the suit.

"Sometimes Deleese blames herself for Kellie's death," the suit said.

An ABC spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment.

This is a sad story, but....


it's ok to say that your sister is really ugly if she's going to get a lot of money and a makeover?
I've never seen the show, but the commercials made me sick!

[pippadaisy[$]]

I doubt that would be enough to make someone kill themselves. There has to be way more to it.

[theworm[$]]

Well, yes! The show is not responsible for the suicide. It's very very sad, but .... If you agree to pimp yourself as "ugly" to get free plastic surgury.....Oy - why can't the media push the concept of accepting people as they are and not judging. Why can't the concept of "everyone is beautiful" hit prime time.

[Redlass]

Because the people who make money from plastic surgery, makeup, hair products, etc. wouldn't like it?

Mind, I agree with you.

[cristina1]

And there would be no show. I heard of this show before, but it makes me sick.

[theworm[$]]

I admit to liking some reality TV. I really enjoy some, but a lot is just garbage, and this show is so offensive. They look for "Ugly" women to turn into beauties through extreme surgury and exploit them on TV. It's sick.
If these doctors want to do good, why don't they offer their services to people born with birth defects or burn victims? It makes me angry.

[pippadaisy[$]]

I dunno.. the show doesn't bother me so much because I don't have to watch it. But the whole concept of using your sister's suicide to profit and blaming something like the show for it rubs me the wrong way.