Overview

• Season 7 participant Stephen Richardson filed the proposed class action in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, naming Netflix, Kinetic Content and Delirium TV and seeking unspecified damages.
• The complaint alleges willful misclassification of cast as independent contractors despite producers’ extensive control, which Richardson argues should trigger minimum wage and overtime protections.
• Richardson claims unsafe conditions, including restricted outside contact, confiscated IDs and phones, limited access to food and water, and encouragement to consume alcohol throughout the day.
• The filing seeks class certification for individuals who signed required show contracts within the past four years and cites an NDA provision that could impose roughly $97,000 in penalties for speaking out.
• Kinetic Content and Delirium TV called the lawsuit meritless, and the action follows an NLRB complaint over misclassification and a $1.4 million settlement of a related case in 2024.