The plumber was on a routine maintenance call when Candid Camera actors began playing out a violent love triangle in front of him. He had no idea he was being filmed, never signed a release, and is currently suing the show for emotional distress, fraud and invasion of privacy. Even with a release, there are exceptions. First, the contract may be invalid if the producers misled people about what filming would entail or how the material would be used. Litwak compared it to a photographer who tells his subjects he is taking pictures of their nude bodies for a medical textbook and then sells the pictures to Playboy.
Misrepresentation means no valid contract and no protection from suits.
Another exception that would render a release worthless is a producer's gross negligence, which means acting or failing to act in reckless disregard of the safety or property of another. No Illegal Harassment Likewise, no contract can guard against intentional wrongdoing. A participant can't agree to racial, sexual, or religious harassment either because the law provides special protection for these classes. There is no precedent, they say. The exceptions cover such egregious wrongs that it's hard to imagine any reputable production company or entertainment attorney allowing them to go on.