Ellen DeGeneres being sued for joke about woman named ‘Titi’
Ellen DeGeneres is being sued after making a joke about a woman named Titi.
Titi Pierce, from Georgia, has accused DeGeneres of acting with malice towards her after her name was used as a joke during a skit called ‘What’s Wrong with These Ads… and These Signs?’
Pierce is suing DeGeneres’ parent company and seeking damages and a permanent stop on the segment being aired.
The segment sees the comedian reading out and showing pictures of amusing signs, in which she shows Pierce’s company sign. Her name is read out as ‘titty pierce’.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf_Hf9Mq6B0]
The formal complaint reads: “Prior to the Defendant’s misdeeds, Ms Pierce has been called only by her name ‘Titi’, which as grammar dictates, is pronounced ‘TEE TEE’.”
The complaint also says that it “led to immediate ridicule and raucous laughter from the show’s live and television audiences” and adds that the show didn’t blank out her personal phone number, stating she has received “ridiculing and harassing telephone calls”.
Last month, it was reported that Ellen DeGeneres is launching her own digital network featuring a number of YouTube personalities.
The daytime TV mogul is launching the Ellen Digital Network, signing a deal with YouTuber Tyler Oakley. The pair will collaborate on a number of projects, aiming to develop them for TV.
