A former “Naked and Afraid” contestant received a $175,000 settlement after accusing her supervisor of accessing dozens of nude photos and videos captured during her appearances on the reality TV series.
Danielle Beauchemin, who appeared on several episodes of “Naked and Afraid” from 2014 through 2021, alleged that her supervisor, Arthur True, used his office computer to access her private Google Photos account and download explicit images and videos from the show.
According to the lawsuit, True obtained uncensored files connected to an old personal cellphone Beauchemin used during her time on “Naked and Afraid.” The images and videos had been blurred when the episodes aired on the Discovery Channel.
Beauchemin, a former emergency management employee for Kennebec County, Maine, said county officials retaliated against her in the weeks after she reported True, Central Maine reported.
The lawsuit alleged that surveillance footage near Beauchemin’s office was deleted, two spy cameras were delivered to the county building, and tools and a flashlight were placed in the ceiling above her office, according to the outlet.
Beauchemin allegedly learned in April 2023—about four months after the county hired her—that True had accessed her personal Google Photos account.
True later acknowledged downloading dozens of nude photographs and videos of Beauchemin, the lawsuit alleged.
True also faces criminal charges of invasion of computer privacy and stalking. He pleaded not guilty in July 2024, according to Central Maine.
The complaint stated that Beauchemin never accessed the files through her work computer.
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When Beauchemin reported the matter, Kennebec County’s human resources department allegedly downplayed her concerns and created a hostile workplace in the weeks that followed. The lawsuit claims officials revoked her permission to bring her service dog to work, belittled and blamed her, and altered her job responsibilities.
Beauchemin later took unpaid medical leave. While she was away, county commissioners voted to reallocate federal COVID-19 recovery funds, and the county terminated her position, according to the complaint.
She subsequently contacted Augusta police, and True resigned the following day, the lawsuit said.
Beauchemin, who lives in Falmouth, Maine, received $20,000 for lost wages and $84,595 in alleged damages. The remaining $70,405 went to her attorneys for legal fees. Kennebec County’s publicly funded insurer agreed to settle the federal lawsuit on Aug. 16, with the payments issued Sept. 29, Central Maine reported.
The settlement did not include an admission of liability by the county, according to Peter Marchesi, one of its attorneys.
True’s criminal case was moved out of Kennebec County in March after his attorney argued that his employment created a potential conflict of interest.
The case was transferred to Lincoln County and is scheduled for a docket call in January.
Attorneys for Kennebec County and Arthur True did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
