Dave Hester Launches his Own War Against “Storage Wars”. Says He was Fired After Questioning the Shows Authenticity

The former Storage Wars star is not concerned with burning any bridges.  After getting fired from the A&E show, David Hester is going out guns blazing.  He filed a lawsuit against the A&E Television Network saying that the show is rigged!

In the complaint filed this week in LA Superior Cort, Hester claims,

“A&E has committed a fraud on the public and its television audience in violation of the Communications Act of 1934, which makes it illegal for broadcasters to rig a contest of intellectual skill with the intent to deceive the viewing public.”

If you have never seen Storage Wars, it’s basically a reality show where the camera follows people to storage units that have gone into default and are now put up for auction.  The people bidding on the unit are not allowed to go in the units only look inside from the outside and guess how much value the contents are worth and then out bid each other to win the contents.  After the winner is identified they look through the stuff and more often then not there is something that is worth a lot of money.  If there wasn’t then the show would be more like real life.  Boring.

Hester says that the show plants items of memorabilia into the storage units.  He cites specifically two occasions: One, where a pile of newspapers announcing the death of Elvis was planted and the other was an entire BWM mini car.

Hester said that he complained about the staging and told A&E production,

 “fraudulent conduct of salting and staging the storage lockers was possibly illegal,”

Hester said he was fired shortly thereafter.  He says that A&E rescinded their written exercise of an option retaining his services for the coming season. Translation: YOU’RE FIRED!  He says that it has caused him at least $750,000 in damages.

An old A&E press release regarding the show says specifically,

There is no staging involved. The items uncovered in the storage units are the actual items featured on the show.”

I guess that’s all bull.

According to Hester, it goes further than placing a few bonuses in the storage units.  He says, that interviews with cast members are scripted in advance and that producers have shot footage when no real auctions taking place. Hester even says that the defendants have asked him to provide valuable items to be planted.

A&E would not comment on the issue saying that they do not discuss legal matters.

At this point, I say cut Hester a check so he can go away quietly.  We all know reality TV ain’t real, we just like to pretend that it is.  Thanks for bursting our bubble Dave.