Sex & Society

If you've been a faithful fan of either 'So You Think You Can Dance' or 'American Idol,' you may remember former contestant Ian Benardo. He was loud and obnoxious and thought himself very talented.  He also appeared on the Idol finale this year, where he stole the mic from comedian Dane Cook and told Simon Cowell: "I'm more entertaining than you."

He is now suing Idol for $300 million claiming show producers exploited his sexuality.

Benardo said he was put up to the stunt, and told to be "outrageous" and "gay." In court papers he inisted that the producers "exploited... my sexual orientation" during the auditions, and requested that he "gay it up" for TV.

Following the finale, Benardo was allegedly threatened by Cook and escorted out of the theater. He is now seeking damages for emotional injuries and loss of employment opportunities.

Repeated appearances on reality contests? Now a lawsuit? We think someone just has a thing for judges.

'Idol' reject to sue for $300M [Toronto Sun]

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