Los Angeles - Reality TV guru Mark Burnett has been slapped with a 70-million-dollar lawsuit by a former partner who claims the producer reneged on a deal to pay him 10 per cent of the profits from shows like Survivor and The Apprentice. Conrad Riggs, a former Disney executive, claimed in the lawsuit that he played a key role in helping Burnett sell Survivor to television network CBS, where it went on to become a ratings smash.
"As Burnett has acknowledged on several occasions, the significant contributions made by Burnett's business partner, Conrad Riggs, played a critical role in the success of their enterprise," the lawsuit stated.
"Their joint efforts have ... generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues. While Burnett deserves much of the creative credit, Riggs played a crucial role in the financial success of the enterprise."
The lawsuit claimed that Burnett stopped paying Riggs his cut in February and has sought to alter the profit-sharing deal as he tries to sell the company.
