Sheree Whitfield’s boyfriend Tyrone Gilliams, who was recently released from prison for wire fraud, is now facing the powers of a television network.
Earlier this month, Tyrone stopped communicating with Sheree after she flew to Philadelphia to film with him for the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Sheree and the producers shot a scene at a restaurant (which was impossible for Tyrone, because of his home confinement order).
The producers allegedly told his attorneys that the scene would be edited in a certain way to make it seem like Tyrone was standing Sheree up. Tyrone was scared, though, that the editing would suggest he was violating his home confinement order. Because of this, Tyrone stopped speaking with Sheree.
Now, according to a cease-and-desist letter obtained by TMZ, Tyrone threatened legal action against Bravo. According to the letter, the network has been using Tyrone’s “name and likeness” in a way that violates “numerous state and federal laws.”
Tyrone’s legal team said Bravo “deliberately” used him “without his permission” to get profit for the show. Tyrone claimed the network was never given the thumbs up.
In the legal document, Tyrone’s attorneys told Bravo to stop including his name and image immediately. They demanded that Bravo scrub his name from the past footage of RHOA (as well as social media posts). They also wanted him to be stripped from advertising campaigns.
In the past, Sheree expressed her desire for Tyrone to be a bigger part of her storyline. According to a report by Us Weekly, one of the reasons Sheree was fired after season 10 was her inability to film with Tyrone because cameras weren’t allowed in the prison.
Manipulation of Bravo storylines was much discussed in Dave Quinn’s tell-all, Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It. In it, Tamra Judge claimed producers told her to throw wine in Jeana Keough’s face at an iconic party. LeeAnne Locken from Real Housewives of Dallas said production influenced her to smash a glass against a table.
Perhaps Tyrone’s storyline is being influenced as well (or he’s trying to prevent it from happening). This isn’t the first time Bravo has been threatened by one of its stars. When the new season airs, viewers will see if the cease-and-desist letter was successful.