RuPaul’s Drag Race producers are suing an anonymous leaker for $300,000

17th February 2018

Producers are seeking damages after repeated leaks from an anonymous online account.

The producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars are suing anonymous leaker RealityTVLeaks for $300,000 after they consistently leaked pictures from unbroadcast episodes. The user used to post costume reveals, challenges, and even who would be eliminated.

They operated across various social media platforms, like Twitter, Instagram and Reddit, but all of these accounts were suspended as of February 9, following takedown notices from World of Wonder Productions.

Part of the lawsuit read that producers are pursuing legal action because of the defendant'(s) “unlawful theft and public dissemination of episodes of the popular and critically-acclaimed reality television show ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: AllStars’ (“All Stars”) series.”

Producers also add that they own the copyright to all episodes, and that the defendant(s) removed “information identifying WOW as the copyright owner and author”, before adding “misleading copyright management information falsely identifying Defendants as the copyright owners and authors.”

The lawsuit also points to the fact that before it was taken down, RealityTVLeaks had made their Instagram account private to avoid detection. In response to a Reddit user who asked about the spoilers, they responded: “I’ll be here every Thursday with bomb leaks to keep ya quenched until the episode lol.”

The lawsuit is seeking $300,000 in damages from the defendant(s), $150,000 for each infringed episode, and $25,000 per violation of “actual damages and Defendants’ profits.”

The full lawsuit can be read here.

Yesterday, the launch date of Season 10 was announced as the 22 March, one week after the finale of All Stars Season 3.

In a statement, Ru said: “To celebrate a decade of Drag Race we’ve pulled out all the stops. The queens, the challenges and the shenanigans are off the mother-tucking charts.

“And I’m thrilled that Untucked is back on VH1. ‘Cause, henny, if you ain’t watching Untucked, you’re only getting half the story. Okurrr?”