Erick Adame, an out gay TV weatherman for NYC’s Spectrum News, has been fired for appearing on an adult cam site outside of work hours. An anonymous user sent screenshots of cam sessions to both Adame’s employer and mother, according to court documents obtained by The Daily Beast.
Adame shared the story himself through Instagram on Monday. “I am taking this opportunity to share my truth rather than let others control the narrative of my life,” he wrote.
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“Despite being a public figure and being on television in the biggest market in the country in front of millions of people five days a week for more than a decade and a half, I secretly appeared on an adult cam website. On this site, I acted out my compulsive behaviors, while at home, by performing on camera for other men. It was 100% consensual on both of our parts. I wasn’t paid for this, and it was absurd of me to think I could keep this private. Nonetheless, my employer found out and I was suspended and then terminated.”
Adame is now determined to ensure the leaker faces consequences. He submitted a court filing to the New York State Supreme Court on Monday petitioning Unit 4 Media to disclose the identity of the leaker. The document alleges that after Adame appeared on Unit 4’s cam site in late 2021, an anonymous user “wrongfully copied unclothed images.”
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“Anonymous knew [Adame] had a reasonable expectation that the images would remain private,” the court filing reads. But the user then “wrongfully disseminated the images to [Adame’s] employer and mother with the intent of harassing, annoying, or alarming [him] and tortiously interfering with [his] employment relationship.”
Lawrence Walters, an attorney for Unit 4 Media, agreed that the user’s actions represent a code of conduct breach. “Our client’s policy is to comply with lawfully issued subpoenas,” Walters told The Daily Beast via email. “Capturing and disseminating user content without consent violates our client’s Terms of Service and forum Rules which may result in a suspension or banning of the offending accounts.”
Adame hopes to press charges against the leaker “but is presently unable to do so without the information to identify [them].” While Adame’s legal team has obtained the multiple usernames the leaker went by, Unit 4 Media has stated that it does not keep records of personal information, including IP addresses.
While Adame seeks justice in court, he is also now seeking work. He penned a message to prospective employers: “Please judge me on the hundreds, thousands of hours of television that I am so proud of and that my employers have always commended me for, and not the couple of minutes of salacious video that is probably going to define me in our ‘click-bait’ culture.”
Additionally, Adame apologized to his friends, family, and former employer “for any embarrassment or humiliation I have caused you.” But at the same time, he said, “Let me be clear about something: I don’t apologize for being openly gay or for being sex-positive—those are gifts and I have no shame about them.”