Executives at MTV have denied reports they encouraged the stars of new show The City to engage in a physical fight to boost ratings. The show, which is a New York spin-off of Los Angeles-based The Hills, stars Olivia Palermo and Whitney Port, who both work in public relations for the Diane von Furstenberg fashion house.
But the pair was recently said to be unhappy with producers' alleged demands for them to stage a "catfight" in the middle of the office for entertainment purposes, as part of the series which mingles reality with fiction.
A source tells New York Post gossip column PageSix, "MTV wanted the girls to get into a physical fight at the DVF office. The girls were both really uncomfortable. Even though people think their jobs at DVF aren't real, both girls are really excited to be working in the fashion world, and wouldn't want to be seen getting into a fight in a professional setting."
But MTV executives have refuted the claims - insisting they would never make such a request of their stars.
A statement from the broadcast giant reads, "On Friday we shot with Whitney and Olivia at DVF, during which time no physical altercation took place. We would never encourage our talent to engage in that type of negative behaviour."
While a representative for Palermo adds, "Of course the show is edited to heighten the entertainment value."