Jordan Pruitt, a singer and contestant on the third season of the hit TV show “The Voice” has filed charges against her former manager, Keith Thomas, claiming he sexually abused her for two years starting when she was 14 years old.
The suit also alleges that her former record label, Hollywood Records, and its parent company, Walt Disney Co., did nothing to prevent the abuse and should be held accountable.
The 28-year-old singer claims Hollywood Records made her work with Thomas without supervision, reported Variety. The veteran Nashville producer was her mentor and producer.
“Unfortunately, these large companies are primarily concerned with sales, money, and charts. Too often they fall short of protecting the young talent that they are ‘supposed’ to be caretakers for,” Pruitt told the entertainment magazine in a statement. “Time and time again we see people in positions of power fail us. I couldn’t be more disappointed in how Disney treats their underage talent like cash cows.”
Pruitt announced on Sept. 3 that she filed a lawsuit against Thomas, Hollywood Records, and Disney, suggesting the companies “enabled him.”
She wrote on Twitter: “3 weeks ago as “Jane Doe” I filed a lawsuit against my molester and those who enabled him. No more Jane Doe. I am Jordan Pruitt.”
3 weeks ago as “Jane Doe” I filed a lawsuit against my molester and those who enabled him. No more Jane Doe. I am Jordan Pruitt. #justice #metoo #SeeSomethingSaySomething
— Jordan Pruitt (@JordansBlog) September 3, 2019
An amended complaint revealing the names of the defendants and plaintiff was filed on Sept. 3, Variety reported. The outlet said the lawsuit was originally filed on Aug. 14 using pseudonyms.
Asked about the lawsuit by Variety, Thomas pointed to his lawyers, who did not respond to the outlet’s requests for comment. Hollywood Records and Disney also did not respond to questions from the magazine.
Pruitt, who is from Loganville, Georgia, signed with Hollywood Records in 2005 when she was 14. She released two albums under the label: “No Ordinary Girl” in 2007 and “Permission to Fly” in 2008.
This is not the first time the Disney star has spoken out about the alleged abuse she endured during her career as a young singer.
In 2018, she wrote in a Facebook post: “As I filmed my music video, ‘Jump to the Rhythm’ (used for the 2007 Disney Channel TV movie “Jump In!”), those eyes were watching my every move,” Pruitt wrote, seemingly referring to Thomas.
“As I watch this video back now, I see this young girl laughing and smiling, but inside I was feeling trapped. All I remember is the feeling of being totally isolated from the world, this man had taken what was supposed to be one of the best experiences of my life, and gave me the worst memory of it. To this day, I won’t watch that video,” she wrote in the December 2018 post, reported USA Today at the time.
“At fifteen this person had brainwashed me into thinking that the things that were happening were ‘natural’ and ‘okay,'” she added, writing that she would not include the details of the alleged abuse.
“I can honestly and unfortunately say that this man sexually abused me for almost two years of my life. I am a victim of child molestation because of him.”
