Tyra Banks sued by mother of self-proclaimed teen sex addict
"Are you obsessed with sex," asked "The Tyra Banks Show" website, "and unable to control your sexual impulses? If so share your story and maybe we can help."
But if the person who answers that call is underage, things get a bit more complicated.
The mother of a teenage girl who appeared as a self-described sex addict on "The Tyra Banks Show" has sued host Tyra Banks, Warner Bros. Entertainment and the executive producers of the show, alleging they flew the girl to New York and put her on TV without parental consent or the proper work papers from the state of Georgia.
Jewel Ciera Washington was 15 when she appeared on "The Tyra Show" late in 2009 after allegedly responding to a solicitation for "sex addicts" to appear as guests on the now-defunct program. According to Beverly McClendon's $3-million federal lawsuit, producers reached Jewel directly and did not get parental permission before flying her out to New York, putting her up alone in a hotel and paying her to tape the segment, in which the she talked about losing her virginity at age 9, hooking up via phone chat lines, getting pregnant three times and having sex with more than 20 guys, one of them a 37-year-old when she was 13.
McClendon, who filed suit Thursday, is seeking an injunction against further distribution of Jewel's segment, as well as compensatory and punitive damages. Warner Bros. had no comment Tuesday morning to Reuters or the Associated Press.
During the segment, Dr. Drew Pinsky observed about Jewel, "She is parentalized, she looks 25, she seems very competent and to hear her say something like 'I have no purpose' really strikes me as incongrous with what I'm sure your life is like, which is, you take care of a lot of people. They need you."
Jewel described herself as "trapped in a dark place" and said she knew she needed help, because she thought about sex constantly, might have herpes and cried herself to sleep at night thinking, "I don't deserve to live."
Solicitations for the show — billed as one that "gives young women the 'girlfriend' they want to hang out with, and the role model they need" — included "Teen leading a double life?," "Is your mom a cougar?," and, of course, "Addicted to sex?"
The show's final season wrapped up this spring, and guests are no longer being booked.
— Christie D'Zurilla
Photo: Tyra Banks at a Vogue event in Paris on Sept. 30. Credit: Laurent Cipriani / Associated Press
Wow, how negligent can they get? A 15 year old, and NOBODY ever suspected she may be a bit too young?
Right. Pervs, the whole production lot of them. And gawd knows what else may have taken place on her rendezvous in NY.
Banks has no class whatsoever, so I'm not really surprised with her behavior.
Posted by: All Hallows Eve | Oct 19, 2010 at 12:08 PM
Mothers are always using kids for profit. This show is a opportunity for this younglady to receive help an here's mom trying to make a dollar where was mom when she was crying for help being abused an all alone.if money is given hope they keep it from her (da mom)
Posted by: Kennith Jordan | Oct 19, 2010 at 12:58 PM
Her mom is negligent! How did her daughter get to NY without her knowing where and what she was doing? No wonder her daughter was whoring. Stupid.
Posted by: juice | Oct 19, 2010 at 05:16 PM
WHAT!? Her mom didn't ask her where she was going? She just flew to NY? Her mother is negligent. That's why her daughter was whoring around.
Posted by: Juice | Oct 19, 2010 at 05:48 PM
Tyra is like Oprah for the stupid set. And Oprah is the anti-intellectual Phil Donahue. We are all Devo!
Posted by: Kevin Livingston | Oct 19, 2010 at 06:05 PM
I agree, that the child's mother was very negligent,where was she when her daughter needed someone to talk to? Instead she has to fly to NY to confide in someone which also includes millions of viewers. How does your 15 yr old leave the house, yet alone the state n u don't kno it? If anythng the state of Georgia needs to b questioning the mother! Im not saying that what they did was right, cause they shuld hve had parental consent, but I don't think the mother deserves a dime, give the money to the daughter whn she gets 18 so she can make a better life for herself.
Posted by: lisa | Oct 19, 2010 at 07:40 PM
There was a missing person filed with the police, so I don't think a negligent mother would do that. True this may not be the proper way to handle this, but there is more to the story then people know. Regardless of what we think of the mom, it was very negligent of the show to escort a minor without verification of any of her information. I wonder does this fall under kidnapping?
Posted by: just me | Oct 19, 2010 at 08:18 PM
this is why those commenting on this should read more than one source.. the mother filed a missing person's report on her daughter because she had no idea where she was. it's not like she just woke up one morning and said "oh, darn it! my daughter's gone". her daughter jumped on a plane (which she could've had a friend take her to the airport after school before her mother was home from work.) after all, she is in high school with kids that DRIVE. this is just another way for people to try and make the industry seem innocent again. they shouldn't even HAVE children on shows like this. if she's had sex with a 37 year old, which is HORRIBLY disgusting, how many other 40 and 50 year olds will want to bang her after watching this? pedophile heaven! something needs to be done.
Posted by: Taylor | Oct 21, 2010 at 03:35 AM
Where was the mother when her daughter was having sex at age 9? The state need investigate her for negligent. She knew her daughter had a problem because she got pregnant 3 times. I think the mom and daugher this will be a good oppertunity to exploite money, which is sad. The daughter is a slut and the mother is a gold digger.
Posted by: Carol | Oct 22, 2010 at 06:28 AM
@ Juice, I totally agree! Im not buying this one. How in the hell is someone going to fly a 15 year old to another city without anyone knowing it. The only reason I could see if the parent is not actively apart of the child's life!
Posted by: JBoog | Oct 22, 2010 at 08:54 AM
I am with the others - her mother didn't know?? While your at it, why didn't she travel with her? That's a bunch of crap.
Posted by: Morgan | Oct 23, 2010 at 09:02 AM
I’m sure that the show has ways to release themselves from this sort of liability. The girl probably had to sign a waiver. Plus, the girl pursued them first. This isn’t going to stop the mom from trying however. By the way, how did the mom not know that her daughter had been missing in the first place? After all, they flew her back to New York and put her up in a hotel and the mom didn’t find this out until later. Perhaps the mom should focus more on parenting instead of blaming others for her daughter’s problems.
Posted by: Clay Boggess | Oct 25, 2010 at 04:46 AM
At 15 this girl may have been young but has complete control over her own actions. Why are we blaming everyone but the one who did it. She decided to apply and go and truthfully it probably helped her a lot to speak to someone openly even if the world was watching.
It is neither the mothers negligent or the show. Its the girl who chose to act like a whore and then chose to take that flight to new york...
Why do we keep blaming everyone but... This is why children and adults alike cannot take blame for their own actions
Posted by: leila | Nov 04, 2010 at 11:56 AM
DIDN'T HER MOTHER LET HER ON THE SHOW IN THE FIRST PLACE?? HOW STUPID IS SHE ... I'M SURE THEY HAVE TO SIGN SOME KINDA RELEASE BEFORE GOING BEFORE THE CAMERAS; WHERE WAS THE MOM THEN??
Posted by: kpartridge | Nov 04, 2010 at 12:19 PM
parent should have been told about this IMo.
Posted by: brent | Nov 10, 2010 at 03:38 PM
Once a a teenager ahs sex, abortion, etc... is emanicipated
She made adult decisions, where was her mother when she left for the airport?
She made her bed, no she can keep laying in it.
Posted by: mia | Dec 07, 2010 at 10:31 AM