Man Punched on 'Jersey Shore' Episode Sues to Block DVD Release
A man who was beaten on an episode of Jersey Shore is suing to prevent Tuesday’s planned DVD release of the first season as well as any re-airings of both that episode and a subsequent one in which cast member Ronnie Ortiz-Magro “brags about the beating.”
Stephen Izzo Jr. filed the suit in New Jersey Superior Court against both MTV and cast member Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, saying they shouldn’t be able to profit from criminal conduct, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Izzo’s attorney, Eugene M. LaVergne from Eatontown, N.J., is also seeking an order to stop Ortiz-Magro from receiving any further payments as a Jersey Shore cast member so that he does not personally profit from criminal conduct.
The Asbury Park Press reports that Ortiz-Magro was charged with aggravated assault in September, and that the charge is pending. Ortiz-Magro, however, told People in January that he received a letter in the mail saying that the charges had been dismissed.
“The law prohibits people from profiting from a criminal case,” LaVergne told the Asbury Park Press. “What you have is a criminal act that MTV orchestrated and had the ability to prevent, and are profiting from.”
LaVergne also filed a suit last week seeking unspecified monetary damages for Izzo, the Asbury Park Press reported. A lawyer for MTV declined to comment to the newspaper about the case.
Related Coverage:
Law Review: “Jersey Shore Punch Victim Does Not Want Cast To Profit From His Pain”
Above the Law: Lawsuit of the Day: Jersey Shore Victim Wants DVDs Suppressed
