More so than most reality television shows, HBO’s The Rehearsal tends to blur the lines between scripted TV and reality, sometimes at the expense of hapless individuals caught up in the show’s experimental comedy.
As perfect proof of this fact, a 30-year-old professional singer has recently claimed to have lost $10,000 after appearing in the series, as reported by Variety.
Making a name for herself through appearances on The Voice, New York singer Lana Love claimed she was contacted to compete in a new HBO singing contest, titled “Wings of Voice,” by her former performing arts institution. Believing the exposure would help further her career, Love formally entered the competition, flying back and forth from New York to Los Angeles a total of three times.
While Love eventually surpassed one thousand other contestants enrolled in the competition, she eventually learned “Wings of Voice” was nothing more than a fake series within The Rehearsal — a reality comedy series that allows people to “rehearse” significant moments in their lives with meticulously-controlled simulations.
Breaking the non-disclosure agreement she signed with HBO, Love said she was devastated to learn she had signed on to become an unsuspecting extra for The Rehearsal.
“I signed up to be a singer, not a lab rat,” the 30-year-old performer told Variety.
As for the potential repercussions that might come about from breaking her NDA, Love went on to say she’s not very afraid of HBO coming out against her. “They don’t really have ground on to stand on,” the musician continued.
With the three flights she took from her home in New York to the performance center in Los Angeles, Love said she spent roughly $5,500 on travel, room and the various expenses tied to her role in the competition (mainly hair and makeup).
She also said her appearance on the show hampered her career as a vocals instructor, costing her $4,000 in canceled lessons.
