Donald Trump and the Miss Universe organization have filed a lawsuit against Univision after the network decided to remove the Miss USA pageant from its schedule.
The suit, which seeks damages in excess of $500 million, alleges that Univision’s actions are in “breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing,” an intentional interference with its contractual relationship and defamation.
The Spanish language broadcaster canceled its planned broadcast of the July 12 pageant after Trump made controversial remarks regarding Mexican immigrants during a June 16 speech announcing his candidacy for president.
“We just reviewed Mr. Trump’s complaint for the first time, and it is both factually false and legally ridiculous," said Univision in a statement. "We will not only vigorously defend the case, but will continue to fight against Mr. Trump’s ongoing efforts to run away from the derogatory comments he made on June 16th about Mexican immigrants. Our decision to end our business relationship with Mr. Trump was influenced solely by our responsibility to speak up for the community we serve.”
NBCUniversal, which was in a joint venture with Trump and his organization, also severed ties, pulling the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and announcing that Trump will no longer appear on Celebrity Apprentice.
To read the full complaint, click here.
