CBS is firing back at former Survivor contestant Stacey Stillman. Two weeks after Stillman sued the network and Survivor producer Mark Burnett for "rigging" the reality series, CBS returned the favor by filing a $5 million countersuit of its own.
The countersuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by CBS and Burnett, is for breach of contract, extortion, defamation and disparagement. CBS's suit claims all Survivor contestants signed a confidentiality contract with Burnett and CBS that came with a $5 million penalty if broken. CBS' suit claims Stillman, a San Francisco-based attorney, "fully recognized the legal significance and consequences of the several written agreements that she eagerly signed to induce the show's producers to choose her from among the thousands of applicants." The countersuit alleges Stillman "deliberately misrepresented events" from Survivor's production and spread "malicious defamations."
CBS also claims Stillman has gained "immeasurable benefits" as a direct result of her participation on Survivor. Stillman worked as a special Survivor commentator for CBS-owned station KPIX-TV San Francisco after being eliminated from the original series in the third round. - Joe Schlosser
