Danielle Beauchemin, a Naked and Afraid contestant who accused her supervisor of viewing dozens of nude photos and videos captured during the reality series, has received $175,000 in a legal settlement.
Beauchemin alleged that Arthur True accessed her private Google Photos account using a computer at work, then downloaded intimate images and videos recorded while she appeared on the Discovery Channel program.
The former Kennebec County, Maine, emergency management employee also claimed county officials retaliated against her after she reported True. She filed a federal lawsuit against the county in December.
According to CentralMaine, the county’s publicly funded insurer agreed to pay Beauchemin $20,000 in lost wages and $84,595 in damages. The remaining $70,405 went to her attorneys.
The lawsuit reportedly cited an administrative investigation that found surveillance footage from near Beauchemin’s office had been erased. It also alleged that two hidden cameras were delivered to the building and that tools and a flashlight were placed in the ceiling above her office.
Beauchemin further alleged that officials revoked permission for her service dog to accompany her at work, mocked or belittled her, altered her responsibilities and ultimately terminated her while she was on unpaid medical leave.
She said the alleged conduct caused lasting harm to her mental, emotional and physical health.
True faces criminal allegations of stalking and invasion of computer privacy. He has pleaded not guilty, and the case remains unresolved.
Naked and Afraid star Danielle Beauchemin received $175,000 from Kennebec County’s publicly funded insurer after accusing her supervisor of downloading intimate photos of her
Arthur True is also charged with stalking and invasion of computer privacy. He has pleaded not guilty
Beauchemin said she learned in April 2023, about four months after joining the county, that True had accessed her private intimate images.
She alleged that he viewed and downloaded the photos and videos and later acknowledged the conduct to law enforcement.
The complaint stated that the files were connected to Beauchemin’s Google account on her work computer through an old personal cellphone.
When Beauchemin brought the matter to county human resources, she alleged that staff downplayed the seriousness of her concerns.
True resigned as emergency management director the following day, according to the lawsuit.
The legal filing said Beauchemin reported the alleged conduct to police in Augusta.
The settlement was finalized on August 16, while the Maine County Commissioners Association Self-Funded Risk Management Pool issued the payments on September 29, according to the outlet.
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The case was formally closed in the US District Court in Bangor on October 16.
Beauchemin alleged that True used her office computer to access her private Google Photos account and view explicit images and videos from the show
IMDb lists Beauchemin as appearing in three Naked and Afraid episodes between 2014 and 2021
Peter Marchesi, who represented the county, emphasized that the settlement included language stating that neither side admitted liability.
When Beauchemin first filed the lawsuit, Marchesi described her claims as “an exercise in creative, sensationalist writing” that had “little relation to the true facts surrounding the events at issue.”
Under the agreement, both sides are prohibited from making disparaging remarks about one another. They must also describe Beauchemin’s departure from county employment only as having occurred under mutually agreeable terms, the outlet reported.
Naked and Afraid is a Discovery Channel survival series that places contestants in the wilderness without clothing, food, water or other supplies.
According to IMDb, Beauchemin competed in three episodes of the popular reality show from 2014 through 2021.
She has also appeared in almost 20 episodes of the franchise’s spin-off programs.
True allegedly stepped down as Kennebec County’s emergency management director the day after Beauchemin reported him to police
In connection with the alleged acquisition of Beauchemin’s intimate photos and videos, True has been charged with stalking, criminal invasion of computer privacy and aggravated criminal invasion of computer privacy.
He entered not-guilty pleas to all three charges in July 2024, CentralMaine reported.
During that hearing, True’s attorney, Darrick Banda, indicated that prosecutors and the defense had discussed a possible plea agreement.
The case was transferred out of Kennebec County in March after Banda argued that True’s former position could create a potential conflict of interest.
The proceedings are now being handled in Lincoln County and are scheduled for a docket call in January.
Our News Outlet has contacted county attorney Marchesi, as well as Beauchemin’s attorneys Braden Beard, Kassandra Fotiadis and Ryan Schmitz, for comment.
