Instagram Dancing Doctor lawsuit overview:
- Who: A patient of the “Dancing Doctor” Windell Boutte is suing an anesthesiologist who featured in a viral video taken while she was unconscious for a liposuction procedure.
- Why: The plaintiff says the anesthesiologist violated the standard of care by taking part in the video.
- Where: The Instagram Dancing Doctor lawsuit was filed in a Georgia court.
A patient of the “Dancing Doctor” Windell Boutte is suing the anesthesiologist who featured in a viral video taken while she was unconscious for liposuction, alleging the anesthesiologist violated the standard of care by taking part in the recording.
Plaintiff Latoya Rideau filed the lawsuit against Dr. Roland Pinkney in a Georgia state court, saying the video — which went viral with more than a million views — was made without her knowledge or consent and left her severely emotionally scarred.
The case is currently before a Georgia jury. On July 26, Rideau told jurors that during pre-surgery paperwork, she was presented with a consent form for a video, but chose not to sign it.
According to the lawsuit, Pinkney was the anesthesiologist present for Rideau’s Feb. 21, 2017 surgery. Rideau alleges that, while she was under anesthesia, Boutte recorded a video in which Rideau’s nude midriff could be seen.
In the video, which jurors watched, Boutte is seen dancing for about a minute to a song called “Cut It” and pinches her patient’s midsection. Pinkney reportedly appears for about 12-14 seconds in the video.
Plaintiff became an ‘unwilling viral video star,’ lawyer alleges
Rideau became an “unwilling viral video star” when that recording was posted to Instagram without her consent, her lawyer Susan Witt, of Witt Law Group, said.
“A doctor owes their patient certain duties. Dr. Pinkney owed Latoya a duty not only to keep her physically safe but also to protect her from mental and emotional harm… to not embarrass her and degrade her, humiliate her, or exploit her,” Witt said.
Boutte was known as the “Dancing Doctor” until July 2018, when she agreed to give up her medical license for at least two and a half years after multiple malpractice lawsuits and allegations of questionable treatment between 2014 and 2018 for patients who underwent procedures such as liposuction, fat transfer or breast augmentation.
Meanwhile, Pinkney’s lawyer, Terrell “Chip” Benton III of Hall Booth Smith PC, said Rideau did consent to the video prior to the surgery. He added that Rideau did not ask for the video to be taken down when she saw it, and, months after, granted an interview to a local news station that stripped her of the anonymity she had previously as her face was not on the video.
“This case is all about whether or not Dr. Pinkney’s 12 to 13 or 14 seconds in a 57-second video while she was asleep caused emotional and psychological harm to the patient when the video was produced. The video was not produced by Dr. Pinkney,” Benton said. The trial continues.
Meanwhile, the parents of an 11-year-old girl who was allegedly groomed by multiple men on Instagram are suing Meta, saying the company knowingly made the social media platform dangerous for young people’s mental health.
What do you think of the allegations in this Instagram Dancing Doctor lawsuit? Let us know in the comments!
Rideau is represented by Susan Witt of Witt Law Group.
The Dancing Doctor lawsuit is Latoya Rideau v. Roland Pinkney, Case No. 19EV006990, in the State Court of Fulton County, Georgia.
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