Phil McGraw's production company has filed suit against Gawker Media for posting footage of the TV therapist's Dr. Phil show interview with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the man behind the Manti Te'o girlfriend hoax, on its sports gossip blog, Deadspin.com.
VIDEO: Manti Te'o Hoaxster Says Feelings for Linebacker Are 'Romantic': Dr. Phil
Filed Monday in Texarcana, Texas, the suit claims the website posted the juiciest parts of the interview online before it had aired in the majority of Dr. Phil markets.
Part One of the two-part interview -- which aired over two days -- had ended on a cliffhanger, with viewers left unsure whether or not Tuiasosopo would speak in the female voice that allegedly duped Te'o into thinking he was carrying on a long-distance relationship with a woman named Lennay Kekua.
In Part Two, Tuiasosopo spoke in Kekua's voice.
The suit alleges that Deadspin stole copyrighted material and made it available to viewers online, resulting in lower ratings for the second episode.
STORY: Manti Te'o Hoaxster Tells Dr. Phil He Was Molested as a Child
Filed on behalf of Peteski Productions by lawyers Chip Babcock of Houston and George McWilliams of Texarkana, the claim seeks actual damages at an amount to be proven at trial, an injunction preventing Gawker Media from continuing to infringe on Peteski Production’s copyright of Dr. Phil episodes, plus punitive damages meant to deter Gawker Media from engaging in such behavior in the future.
Deadspin originally broke the Te'o story in January, igniting one of the most sensational media storms of the year. The story has over 4 million views.
Attempts to reach Gawker Media for comment were not immediately answered.
