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Women Say They Were Held Against Will During Reality Show Taping
POSTED: 12:50 pm EDT April 14,
2008
APOPKA, Fla. -- Apopka police arrested a man they say held young women against their will in a house to shoot a reality show called "Pauper To Princess," but the executive producer of the show told Channel 9 he may file his own lawsuit, because the women broke their contracts.
SLIDESHOW: Images Of Scene, TV Show's Web Site
CRIME SECTION: Local Reports, Mug Shots, Neighborhood Watch Info
An aspiring reality show director was arrested after the women being filmed in the Central Florida house said they were unable to leave the program billed as turning ordinary women into "princesses." Marc Brilleman, 33, of Windermere, identified as the chief operating officer, director and writer of "Pauper to Princess," was arrested Saturday on a charge of false imprisonment. He was released several hours later after posting a $3,000 bond. According to the show's Web site, its concept was to build the eight women's self-esteem and help them grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Much like the CBS show "Big Brother," the women lived in a house while the program was taped. Producers were trying to sell the show to a TV network. Jerome Miller, a commander for Apopka police northwest of Orlando, said the charges stem from four of the women saying Brilleman blocked and locked a door when they tried to leave. Brilleman denied that he did that when questioned by police."They have been there since February during the week. On weekends, they had been free to leave, but Brilleman said they could not leave because they were being disciplined," Miller said. Brilleman also reportedly told them they could not leave because they were under contract, the police report said. According to the report, the women were also upset that they had not been paid for the past five weeks of filming. Police do not believe Brilleman has a criminal record. Miller said Brilleman is from South Africa, but his immigration status is unclear. "We are doing some follow up on this case," Miller said, adding it would be forwarded to state prosecutors. They would then decide whether to pursue the case. Calls to the telephone number listed on the show's Web site rang unanswered and e-mails sent to company executives were not answered. Brilleman does not have a listed telephone number and it was not known if he had a lawyer. Eyewitness News spoke with the executive producer of the show. Jim Johnson said no one was held against their will. He said the girls are upset because they were supposed to get paid this past weekend and there was an issue with that. He's also working on a civil suit against the girls, adding they even took the girls on trips.The four girls said every week they were allowed to leave on the weekend, but this past weekend they said Brilleman wouldn't let them leave when they asked and he wouldn't let them call their families and took their cell phones.Johnson did say the producers took the women's cell phones away, but he said that was done according to the contract the women signed. Even though the contract said the women had to remain in the house for 13 weeks, the producers had been letting the women leave on recent weekends, he told Eyewitness News."This particular weekend, four of them stated, they had been put on punishment and they were being disciplined for whatever reason, so they weren't able to leave the house," said Comm. Jerome Miller, Apopka Police Department.Neighbors said they were suspicious since day one about what was going on in the house."That's when the girl's came out with comforters, anything they could in their hands, coming out of the house, telling us they wouldn't let them leave. This isn't what they signed up for, so I don't know what they were trying to get them to do at that point, but they were in fear," a neighbor who didn't want to be identified said. The company producing the show, Dream House Productions Inc., was registered with the Florida Secretary of State's Office on Jan. 17.
SLIDESHOW: Images Of Scene, TV Show's Web SiteCRIME SECTION: Local Reports, Mug Shots, Neighborhood Watch InfoAn aspiring reality show director was arrested after the women being filmed in the Central Florida house said they were unable to leave the program billed as turning ordinary women into "princesses." Marc Brilleman, 33, of Windermere, identified as the chief operating officer, director and writer of "Pauper to Princess," was arrested Saturday on a charge of false imprisonment. He was released several hours later after posting a $3,000 bond. According to the show's Web site, its concept was to build the eight women's self-esteem and help them grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Much like the CBS show "Big Brother," the women lived in a house while the program was taped. Producers were trying to sell the show to a TV network. Jerome Miller, a commander for Apopka police northwest of Orlando, said the charges stem from four of the women saying Brilleman blocked and locked a door when they tried to leave. Brilleman denied that he did that when questioned by police."They have been there since February during the week. On weekends, they had been free to leave, but Brilleman said they could not leave because they were being disciplined," Miller said. Brilleman also reportedly told them they could not leave because they were under contract, the police report said. According to the report, the women were also upset that they had not been paid for the past five weeks of filming. Police do not believe Brilleman has a criminal record. Miller said Brilleman is from South Africa, but his immigration status is unclear. "We are doing some follow up on this case," Miller said, adding it would be forwarded to state prosecutors. They would then decide whether to pursue the case. Calls to the telephone number listed on the show's Web site rang unanswered and e-mails sent to company executives were not answered. Brilleman does not have a listed telephone number and it was not known if he had a lawyer. Eyewitness News spoke with the executive producer of the show. Jim Johnson said no one was held against their will. He said the girls are upset because they were supposed to get paid this past weekend and there was an issue with that. He's also working on a civil suit against the girls, adding they even took the girls on trips.The four girls said every week they were allowed to leave on the weekend, but this past weekend they said Brilleman wouldn't let them leave when they asked and he wouldn't let them call their families and took their cell phones.Johnson did say the producers took the women's cell phones away, but he said that was done according to the contract the women signed. Even though the contract said the women had to remain in the house for 13 weeks, the producers had been letting the women leave on recent weekends, he told Eyewitness News."This particular weekend, four of them stated, they had been put on punishment and they were being disciplined for whatever reason, so they weren't able to leave the house," said Comm. Jerome Miller, Apopka Police Department.Neighbors said they were suspicious since day one about what was going on in the house."That's when the girl's came out with comforters, anything they could in their hands, coming out of the house, telling us they wouldn't let them leave. This isn't what they signed up for, so I don't know what they were trying to get them to do at that point, but they were in fear," a neighbor who didn't want to be identified said. The company producing the show, Dream House Productions Inc., was registered with the Florida Secretary of State's Office on Jan. 17.
Copyright 2008 by WFTV.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
