Conversation so far:
What was this incident about?
Mason allegedly gave host Ed Sullivan the finger on air.
What happened because of this?
Sullivan was clearly infuriated by this, and banned Mason from future appearances on the show.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
Because of Sullivan's influence, he was branded as unreliable, volatile, and obscene, and he failed to get substantial TV work for the next two decades.
Was he able to work elsewhere?
Mason was given a single comeback appearance on Sullivan's TV program two years later, and Sullivan publicly apologized to him.
Did that help his reputation?
Sullivan publicly apologized to him, but the damage was done.
At that time.
Where did he go from there?
Mason later appeared on the show five times.
What else did he do?
Because of Sullivan's influence, he was branded as unreliable, volatile, and obscene, and he failed to get substantial TV work for the next two decades.
What other facts in the article stand out to you?
There was no ruling on the merits, merely a determination that Mason's suit could proceed and that he would be given an opportunity to prove his claim.

Question: What claim was this?
Self-contained rewrite: What claim has Mason done after the ''Middle finger'' accident and its consequences?