'Street Outlaw Memphis' Reality Show Sued Over On-Set Brawl
It's hard to know what's real and what's not on reality television -- even for lawyers.
But two Nashville attorneys say their clients really got beat up on "Street Outlaws: Memphis." The show, which airs on the Discovery Channel, pits street racers against each other.
In one episode last February, however, the street race turned into a street fight.
Street Fight Episode
Chad and Genny Larkin allege the producers egged on the brawl, and the star of the show jumped in. Chad got the worst of it: a broken tooth, bloody lip, black eye, herniated disk and torn left meniscus.
"I was thinking, you know, if somebody don't get this stopped, I'm going to die because I'm not going to be able to take much of this," he told reporters.
Attorneys David Weissman and Ben Raybin say their lawsuit shows what reality television like Street Outlaws is -- staged lawlessness.
"You can't be surprised when violence breaks out when that's the setting you create for them," Weissman said.
4300 Riverport Road
The show reaches out to drivers to compete at an "undisclosed location" -- because street racing is usually illegal -- for a cash prize.
In Larkin's case, he received a message from Jonathan "JJ Da Boss" Day to come to Memphis. But when the Larkins showed up, the complaint says, Day and his crew started trash talking and then attacking them.
According to reports, Day was later arrested and charged with aggravated assault. The Larkins are suing for $5 million.
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