'Storage Wars' star says show is rigged

Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY | USATODAY

You've probably seen Dave Hester trying to outbid his Storage Wars competitors for abandoned storage lockers in Southern California. "Yuuup!" is his trademark phrase.

Now, Hester has filed a lawsuit against A&E, the network that airs the show, charging the show is fake.

He says the show fired him in retaliation days after he complained about it to network and production company executives.

RadarOnline says the lawsuit filed by Los Angeles attorney Marty Singer accuses the show of illegal activity and of deceiving the public. "A&E regularly plants valuable items or memorabilia," the court documents say, to add drama to the show.

A&E has defended the show as being 100% real.

Hester, who says he was fired after meeting with executives to express concern about the show, also claims producers staged entire units and enlisted the co-operation of owners of storage facilities to do so. He says that the show pays for storage lockers for "weaker" cast members as part of the manipulation and that it plants items in lockers after having them appraised weeks in advance.

Hester also says interviews with cast members are scripted and scenes of bidding are faked to the extent that there are no auctions taking place.

On Sept. 6, Hester and some other cast members met with Neil Cohen, A&E's senior vice president, reports Radar, to express their concerns. In the meeting, Hester complained "that he believed that it was illegal for Defendants to continue to salt the storage units," the suit says. "The other cast members present agreed with Hester that Defendants' conduct was inappropriate and possibly illegal."