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Buckcherry Sued For Filming Minor
A 16-year-old girl is suing
The lawsuit also names Warner Music Group, Atlantic Records and other music industry organizations, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The plaintiff was allegedly given alcohol and filmed exposing her breasts, kissing another girl and writhing against a pole while the band played, the lawsuit claims. The band advertised for extras on its MySpace page, and the video was posted on the band’s Web site and distributed online as part of a “behind-the-scenes” program, the paper said.
“For years, the industry has been talking about how online sales and online promotion creates unique opportunities to reach out to fans,” the girl’s attorney, Douglas Silverstein, told the Times. “Well, that also creates a unique burden” to protect minors from online exploitation, he said.
The plaintiff – identified as Jane Doe – suffered severe emotional distress because of the video’s airing, Silverstein said. He is seeking unspecified damages.
Buckcherry attorney Skip Miller told the paper it is possible that an underage girl appeared in the video but precautions were made to keep minors out of the filming area.
“We had a guy at the door checking IDs, and to get in, this girl had to show a fake identification showing she was over 18,” Miller said. “There were signs telling minors to stay out. This woman filled out a release form with false information. And once it was determined this woman was underage, the video was removed.”
The lawsuit claims she was not asked for identification.
A Warner Music Group representative told the paper Buckcherry was signed to Atlantic after the video was made, but the company re-edited the video after being contacted by the plaintiff’s mother.