American businessman and aspiring presidential candidate Donald Trump isn't backing down, even as a war of words over American immigration has cost his Miss USA and Miss Universe franchises their two key broadcasters.
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In a response aimed at one of those two broadcasters, the US-based, Spanish-language channel Univision, Trump has filed a US$500 million lawsuit claiming they have breached a new multi-year contract for TV rights to the two beauty pageants.
The contract, valued at US$13.5 million, was to run from 2015 to 2019.
But Univision effectively tore it up when they announced last week they would dump the telecasts, after Trump, speaking at an event in New York to launch his bid for the Republican nomination for the US presidential race in 2016, made a series of seemingly racist statements.
Trump said: "[Mexico is] sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems to us. They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists."
The remarks triggered a fiery reaction, including the resignation of the upcoming Miss USA pageant hosts and major musical act and a threat from Mexico to withdraw its candidate for Miss Universe.
Both the major US free-to-air network NBC and Univision, which both carry the Miss USA and Miss Universe telecasts, have confirmed they will drop them.
And Televisa, which is Mexico's largest broadcaster and a part-owner of the US-based Univision, has confirmed it will also drop the telecasts.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday, US time, in the New York State Supreme Court, says that Univision is required to air the pageants.
"The agreement ... is clear and unequivocal and does not give Univision the right to terminate simply because it does not agree with Mr Trump's longstanding views or statements, all of which are protected by the First Amendment," the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also notes that Trump's views on Mexican immigration are well known.
It quotes a 2011 television interview in which Trump told Fox News host Bill O'Reilly "they're selling drugs all over the place, they're killing people all over the place and we're not doing anything about it."
Univision has responded by issuing a statement which describes the lawsuit as "factually false and legally ridiculous."
"We will not only vigorously defend the case but [we] will continue to fight against Mr Trump's ongoing efforts to run away from the derogatory comments he made ... about Mexican immigrants," Univision's statement said.
"Our decision to end our business relationship with Mr Trump was influenced solely by our responsibility to speak up for the community we serve."
