Was Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House meant to serve as a warning or a cleverly disguised promo? That’s among the things I wondered after watching the Hulu documentary about the notorious McKamey Manor last year.
A lot of accusations were made against owner Russ McKamey about just how extreme his treatment of participants in his haunted house got. But that’s the catch. That’s what they wanted: extreme. So much so they signed a lengthy waiver agreeing that they were down for whatever McKamey subjected them to.
But according to the disgruntled participants in the doc, they endured more than they bargained for. Some even wondered if they were sexually assaulted in vulnerable moments after they passed out from exhaustion. (One person chastised me for not including Melissa’s story in a previous post I wrote about the documentary. She was among the people who endured 24+ hours in McKamey Manor, and she did worry she may have been violated in some way she did not expressly give consent for.)
While Monster Inside did a wonderful job shedding light on the psychological reasons people seek out extreme thrills like McKamey Manor, it failed to address what remedies the disgruntled parties wanted. There was no mention of lawsuits or charges brought against McKamey. Did they only want to serve as cautionary tales to others?
I don’t know, but recently an update on the story caught my attention. Especially because it involved legal action.
Monster Inside Leads to Legal Disputes
The Tennessean reported that on April 8, Russ McKamey filed a $8.4 million lawsuit against Hulu, the production company North of Now Studios, and Justin Yerace, an interview subject, because of Monster Inside. That was the same day he was set to appear in Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office to discuss allegations about his business practices.
However, he also filed a lawsuit against the Attorney General so he wouldn’t have to testify in that state investigation of McKamey Manor. McKamey feels the investigation is “politically motivated” and a violation of his Fifth Amendment rights, among other things.
His suit against Hulu et al. alleges emails shared in the documentary were “an invasion of his privacy and a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.”
That Answers That
Monster Inside definitely did not paint McKamey in a good light. However, even though he wasn’t among those interviewed, nor was he listed in the credits as a producer, the jaded cynic in me wondered if the doc was a publicity stunt. After all, as the saying goes, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.” Would it be good for his business? Would he indirectly benefit from it?
But I failed to consider the other side of the coin. Waivers aside, was what he was doing even legal? Would anyone finally charge him with anything?
Well, this answers that. Except, I was thinking maybe one of the disgruntled participants might file suit. I never thought the Tennessee Department of Commerce and the State Fire Marshall might come after him for codes violations.
Which, I’d think safety is something you’d want your haunt to be up to snuff with. The last thing you’d want to do is find yourself in a fire trap or something. I’m wondering if such violations invalidate the waivers and provide recourse for some of the participants.
I don’t know, but McKamey was definitely not happy about “the sensationalized, one-side Hulu documentary,” as he put it.
But would he feel happier if he wins his $8.4 million suit against Hulu? Or will it get thrown out? And will he be found guilty of any violations stemming from the AG’s office investigation?
Time will tell, but I feel invested in this story now. If I learn more, I’ll be sure to share.
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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Sorry to hear all the drama has come down to a lawsuit. I don’t like to hear of people getting violated, but it’s odd that we don’t know the nature of the violations. Maybe we just don’t know enough yet.
Great point, Priscilla. And once again a brilliant example of how diplomatic you are looking at various situations!