A Naked and Afraid star who alleged that her boss looked at dozens of nude photos and videos of her from the hit reality show has been awarded $175,000.
Danielle Beauchemin claimed that her supervisor, Arthur True, had accessed her private Google Photos account through her office computer and downloaded the explicit images and videos of her that were taken when she appeared on the show.
Beauchemin, a former Kennebec County, Maine, emergency management employee, alleged that county officials had retaliated against her in the weeks after she reported True. She sued the county in federal court in December.
She was paid $20,000 in lost wages and $84,595 in alleged damages by Kennebec County’s publicly funded insurer to settle the federal lawsuit, CentralMaine reported. Her attorneys received the remaining $70,405 for their services.
An administrative investigation allegedly found that surveillance footage near Beauchemin’s office had been deleted, two spy cameras had been delivered to the building and tools and a flashlight were placed in the ceiling above her office, according to the reported lawsuit.
Beauchemin alleged that county officials retaliated by revoking permission for her to bring her service dog to work, belittling her and changing her job responsibilities before firing her while she was on unpaid medical leave.
She claimed the alleged events had affected her long-term mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
True is facing criminal charges of stalking and invasion of computer privacy, to which he has pleaded not guilty. His criminal case remains pending.
Naked and Afraid star Danielle Beauchemin was paid $175,000 by Kennebec County’s publicly funded insurer after she alleged her supervisor downloaded dozens of nude photos of her
Beauchemin claimed her supervisor accessed her private Google Photos account through her office computer to look at the explicit pictures and videos from the filming of the show
Beauchemin alleged that she discovered True had looked at her personal intimate photos in April 2023, roughly four months after she was hired by the county.
She claimed True viewed and downloaded photos and videos, and that he later admitted having done so to law enforcement.
The files were linked to Beauchemin’s Google account on her work computer through an old personal cellphone, according to the complaint.
Beauchemin alleged that human resources staff from the county seemed to minimize the issue when she spoke to them.
True resigned from his job as emergency management director the next day, the lawsuit said.
She reported True’s alleged actions to Augusta police, according to the legal filing.
The settlement was reached on August 16 and the Maine County Commissioners Association Self-Funded Risk Management Pool issued the payments on September 29, per the outlet.
On October 16, the case was closed in the US District Court in Bangor.
Beauchemin appeared on three episodes of the Naked and Afraid between 2014 and 2021, according to IMDb
Peter Marchesi, an attorney who represented the county, pointed to language in the settlement saying the agreement had been reached without the admission of liability.
Marchesi initially called Beauchemin’s allegations ‘an exercise in creative, sensationalist writing’ that had ‘little relation to the true facts surrounding the events at issue’ when she filed the suit.
The agreement bars both parties from making disparaging comments about each other and requires them to only say that she left her employment with the county on mutually agreeable terms, per the outlet.
Naked and Afraid is a Discovery Channel reality show in which contestants must survive in wilderness without clothes, food, water or supplies.
Beauchemin appeared on three episodes of the hit show between 2014 and 2021, according to IMDb.
She has also appeared in nearly 20 episodes of the reality show’s spin-offs.
True allegedly resigned as Kennebec County emergency management director one day after Beauchemin reported him to police
True has been charged with stalking, criminal invasion of computer privacy and aggravated criminal invasion of computer privacy in connection to how he allegedly obtained Beauchemin’s explicit photos and videos.
He pleaded not guilty to the three charges in July 2024, according to CentralMaine.
True’s attorney, Darrick Banda, suggested in court then that some plea negotiations had taken place with prosecutors.
In March, True’s legal case was moved out of Kennebec County after Banda argued that a conflict of interest was possible given where True worked.
The case, which is now in Lincoln County, is on the list for docket call in January.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the county’s attorney, Marchesi, Beauchemin’s attorneys, Braden Beard, Kassandra Fotiadis and Ryan Schmitz, for comment.
