Home Seller Sues Ellen Over Show Mockery

(CN) — A Georgia real estate agent claims in court that she has been the object of unrelenting ridicule since Ellen DeGeneres made fun of her name on her popular talk show.

In a lawsuit filed in the Macon Federal Court, Titi Pierce says DeGeneres used one of her real estate signs in a segment called "What's Wrong with These Ads ... and These Signs?"

According to the complaint, DeGeneres pronounced the plaintiff's name as "Titty" Pierce, which led to "immediate ridicule and raucous laughter from the show's live and television audiences."

The segment first aired in February and included Pierce's cell phone number on the bottom of the sign despite blurring out a second number.

Pierce, whose name is pronounced "Tee Tee," says she began receiving harassing phone calls "at all hours of the day and night" after the show aired.

She also says she was set up as a punch line by the show's staff through their displaying a sign that said "Nipple Convalescent Home" before her sign was shown.

"Without that orientation, it is unlikely anyone would have laughed when shown Ms. Pierce's real estate sign," the complaint states.

Pierce was attending a family funeral in Florida when, she says, her cell phone blew up with harassing calls, voicemails and text messages from across the country.

"She answered several telephone calls, and when she did, she was met with cruel voices laughing uncontrollably, asking if she was a real person, and repeatedly shouting 'Titty Pierce," the complaint says.

Pierce claims one caller left a voicemail saying that her "size DD, 37 bra is ready." Another caller left a "condescending" message suggesting she change her name.

Pierce says her real estate office was also inundated with harassing calls, so much so it issued a statement on its Facebook page "to try to ward off callers."

Pierce says she endured even more ridicule when she returned to her hometown of Warner Robins, Ga.

"People repeatedly approached Ms. Pierce on the street to laugh at her," the complaint says.

Pierce says reached out to Warner Brothers Entertainment, the producer of the show, twice after the episode first aired, but it was shown again without blurring out her phone number.

"As a result, Ms. Pierce again received repeated ridiculing and harassing telephone calls," the complaint says. "And Ms. Pierce and her family were forced to endure a fresh assault in social media and around her hometown."

Pierce is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

She is represented by Atlanta-area attorney Stacey Godfrey Evans.

Warner Bros. declined to comment.

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