Netflix is now being sued for $128 million over a commercial for Mauricio Umansky’s popular real estate show, Buying Beverly Hills.
Mauricio, the husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards, recently opened up about their marital difficulties, though both stars denied they were getting divorced.
Per Daily Mail, Netflix is being sued by a family for $128 million over the claim that an image of their home – which was likely recorded via a drone – showed up in a commercial for the show, triggering harassment and safety concerns.
Fernando Cortez, his partner Aharon Dihno, and their two sons are named as the plaintiffs in the suit, alleging their house in Hollywood Hills has become a target for real estate agents and sightseers since the September trailer aired.
The network reportedly asked the judge to dismiss the suit, and they maintained that the complaint should be thrown out due to its merits. Netflix also claimed this violates their right to free speech.
The family’s lawsuit is claiming intrusion upon seclusion and alleges that the commercial violates California’s privacy and false advertising laws. They also claimed that emotional distress was inflicted both negligently and intentionally.
A July 13 hearing was scheduled to address the network’s motions for dismissal.
According to the suit, the footage was probably obtained via a drone because the house, which sits on a secluded ridge, cannot be seen from any point in the area nearby.
The lawsuit also alleged that Netflix’s homepage published the house’s entrances, exits, and interior layout. Since the commercial was released, the family has ‘suffered a constant onslaught of visitors interested in seeing the property,’ and the family is now scared for their loss of privacy and safety, per the suit.
The plaintiffs also claim real estate brokers are harassing them with phone calls in attempts to sell the property.
Dihno alleged his business, which is operated from the house, was impacted negatively, and his family endured reputation damage and emotional distress.
According to the lawsuit, the family believes reality star houses are more likely to be burglarized due to viewers’ ability to see the layouts. Their neighbor last year was robbed at gunpoint after being tied up, and a different neighbor was battered by intruders.
The plaintiffs stated that a third party – not the streaming service – took the image and made it available on Shutterstock. Netflix’s lawyers claimed the plaintiffs don’t have a ‘reasonable expectation of privacy in the view of the outside of their house.’
‘This case is plaintiffs’ attempt to convert Netflix’s routine use of a publicly available, licensed stock photo into a ten-claim litigation with a $128+ million payday,” they said.
