Singer sued for being too mediocre and unattractive for Pink cover band

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Last edited Thu Sep 17, 2015, 03:11 PM - Edit history (11)

New York Post:...Collette McLafferty, a 40-year-old singer, has been slapped with a $10 million lawsuit by Charles Bonfante, who whines that her lack of sex appeal and talent ruined his big plan to start Long Island’s first Pink cover act.

Bonfante — a lawyer who brags...about drumming on tour for Michael Bolton and...'80s glam-metal band Saraya — says...that McLafferty and the other band members are “subpar” musicians...McLafferty was "a mediocre vocalist at best..." And as for her look, he claimed: “She didn’t look the part, or at least contribute to the overall aesthetics of the band.”

...He told his collaborator, Rik Nevone, he did not want (them) in the act. But when Nevone went ahead with her at a small gig on Long Island under the name Funhouse — after Pink’s fifth album — Bonfante filed the suit against the members of the act for allegedly ruining his Pink band scheme...

McLafferty — who...fronts a band called edibleRed — says she never heard of Bonfante before the suit...(She)...was paid only $75 for the gig...“The really insulting part is he said I would harm the public because I can’t sing and I’m too unattractive to front this kind of a band,” she told The Post..."I get to fight this for the next two years, according to my lawyer...I’m going to be broke, and he’s going to have a hobby.” She has filed a countersuit, seeking to have Bonfante’s claim quashed and recoup damages...

If Bonfante is of the opinion that Nevone ran off with and permanently ruined his idea, that's one thing. But his filing against the rest of the cover band (but not the drummer who replaced him!) borders on judicial malpractice -- you'd think a lawyer would realize that his opinion of the band is completely irrelevant.

Even worse, I think Collette is being exploited in another way.

She's not the only one being sued -- indeed, it's Rik Nevone who should be the "star" of this drama. But I suppose it makes for a "better" story to make Colette's "ugliness" the primary focus. From her crowdfunding page:

Unfortunately, despite the serious allegations, the press focused on the fact that the lawsuit stated I was "too unattractive" to front this type of band. The NY Post reported I was being sued for being "too old and too ugly" for the band. That is the story that made the news. One headline referred to me as a "bad, ugly singer". Sued for being too old and too ugly for P!NK tribute band!

Although my age was never mentioned in the lawsuit, the press decided to make an issue out of it. I make it a point to mention I am 40 years old in interviews because I LOVE BEING 40 and I hope more performers will embrace their age instead of hiding behind a "showbiz age" like I once did for years.

From XoJane.com:

...I received an offer to sing in the P!NK tribute band by Rik (Nevone), a bass player...After an initial offer, I was told that Chuck (Befonte), the drummer of said band, wanted to “keep looking"...Months later, I was informed Chuck had left the band. I was once again offered the job. At this point I was quite busy, so I accepted a position on a temporary basis. Each Tuesday, I’d show up for rehearsal and sing the various hits from P!NK’s 6 studio albums...Although I couldn’t commit to the project permanently, it was a great job.

I agreed to perform one show at Napper Tandy’s in Milford, NY on April 26th. At our final rehearsal, there was a potential understudy/replacement observing the show. She looked exactly like P!NK. I was excited to help bring this band to the next level and possibly transition to a new singer...

As if on cue, a man entered the room with 3 very large stacks of paper. One for me, one for Rik and one for Jon, the guitarist...

But to her credit, Collette's making the most of being misogynized -- right down to selling "Justice For Collette" T-shirts!

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