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Eli Kantor is a labor, employment and immigration law attorney. He has been practicing labor, employment and immigration law for more than 36 years. He has been featured in articles about labor, employment and immigration law in the L.A. Times, Business Week.com and Daily Variety. He is a regular columnist for the Daily Journal. Telephone (310)274-8216; eli@elikantorlaw.com. For more information, visit beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com and and beverlyhillsemploymentlaw.com

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Wednesday, July 01, 2015

Donald Trump Sues Univision for Dropping Pageant Broadcast

New York Times
By John Koblin
June 30, 2015


Donald J. Trump filed a lawsuit against Univision for $500 million on Tuesday, following the network’s announcement last week that it would no longer broadcast the Spanish-language version of his “Miss USA” beauty pageant.

Univision, the popular Spanish-language broadcaster, ended its association with the event after Mr. Trump denounced immigrants as “rapists” and “murderers” while announcing two weeks ago that he would seek the Republican nomination for president. On Monday, NBC likewise said it would no longer broadcast “Miss USA,” which is taking place in Baton Rouge, La., on July 12.

“Nothing that I stated was different from what I have been saying for many years,” Mr. Trump said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr. Trump contends that Univision was in violation of its contract by abandoning the broadcast. In the lawsuit, the Trump Organization said that Univision signed a five-year, $13.5 million contract this year to broadcast “Miss USA” and other Miss Universe pageants. The lawsuit also claims that Univision was trying to “suppress Mr. Trump’s freedom of speech.”

The lawsuit was filed in the New York Supreme Court. Mr. Trump is an owner of the Miss Universe Organization.

“We just reviewed Mr. Trump’s complaint for the first time, and it is both factually false and legally ridiculous,” Univision said in a statement. “We will not only vigorously defend the case, but will continue to fight against Mr. Trump’s ongoing efforts to run away from the derogatory comments he made on June 16 about Mexican immigrants.”

Also on Tuesday, both hosts for the “Miss USA” pageant, Thomas Roberts of MSNBC and Cheryl Burke, a model and TV host, said they would no longer participate.

“In light of the recent statements made by Donald Trump and the subsequent decision by NBC to cut ties with Mr. Trump, I cannot in good conscience move forward with participating in this year’s Miss USA Pageant as its co-host,” Ms. Burke wrote in a Facebook post.

NBC also said this week that Mr. Trump would not be back to host “The Celebrity Apprentice,” though it plans to keep the show on the air with a new host.

Mr. Trump said in his statement that “Miss USA” would go on as scheduled. An article in The Hollywood Reporter said the pageant would stream on the Miss USA website.


In a statement, the Miss Universe Organization said, “It is unfortunate that recent events beyond our control have only served to negatively impact the women who participate in the pageant, our state directors, our sponsors and our fans.”

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