Bristol Palin Sued for Defamation
Bristol Palin
A man who verbally attacked Bristol Palin at a bar has sued the Dancing with the Stars alum and Lifetime for defamation.
The spat, which occurred in a West Hollywood bar in September, has been used in promos for Palin's new Lifetime reality series Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp, but Stephen Hanks says he was never asked to sign a release form to be filmed, according to court documents obtained by E! News. He now wants Lifetime to stop airing the footage.
Hanks was caught on camera shouting obscenities to Palin about her mom Sarah Palin, prompting Palin to fire back at him. Hanks' lawyer Michael Gulden tells E! that Hanks was unaware that anyone was being filmed until he saw Palin leave with a camera crew.
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"He felt this was the only way he could protect his rights," Gulden said in the suit. "[He was] simply a patron at the bar."
Hanks is suing for unspecified damages, alleging defamation, invasion of right to privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and misappropriation of right of publicity.