After actors leave the Disney Channel, where do they go? Some become pop stars, accountants, podcasters. Hell, some even end up in federal prison. But today’s subject is way more sinister than I ever thought. Join me as I dive into the very shady world of Estabbon Julio Ricardo Mononttoyo de Rosa Ramirez, otherwise known as Adrien Arante.
Now, this genuinely breaks my heart because Sweet Life of Zach and Cody was one of my absolute favorite shows growing up. Estabbon was so funny and recognizable, but he would use that to his own advantage. And let’s just say it looks very sketchy. Now, after The Sweet Life ended, the actor who played Estabbon, Adrien, just seemingly poof, disappeared.
And it made sense to me because the cast and crew on Zack and Cody. You have Brian Peek, who was convicted and put in prison, and the Sprouse twins manager who was also convicted, then expuned, and changed his name and moved to Canada. So, because I never heard from Adrien Aronte, I just assumed he disappeared. At least that’s what I thought.
In actuality, Adrienne would go behind the scenes and become an integral part of Disney Channel’s machine, creating his brand CGTV and starting acting classes and Hollywood courses on how to make it big in Hollywood. Taking thousands from Disney Channel hopefuls who would do anything to make it on TV. And I would know because I was actually one of those hopefuls. Well, kind of.
Not really for Adrien. When I was younger, my mom put me in child modeling very briefly. And me and my sister actually showed up to one of these events or a near identical clone. My sister heard a radio ad explaining that there were new opportunities for talent that could land you on the Disney Channel and they were looking for their next Demi Lovado and Selena Gomez.
Now my sister’s 2 years older than me and she had prior child modeling experience doing ads for Build-A-Bear and Kinko. So it seemed like she might actually have a shot. Me and my sister lined up with all the other kids at the convention center in St. Louis at the Embassy Suites Hotel and waited as they called people in one by one into a room with a big sign that had Demi Lovado and Selena Gomez on it.
Some kids were genuinely turned away, but a lot of them, including my sister, were welcomed in with open arms. The catch? If they actually wanted to make it to Hollywood and audition for these roles, my mom would have had to fork over something to the tune of $5,000 to get my sister head shot and an agent.
I looked it up and this event wasn’t expressly put on by Adrian or his company, but it was very indicative of his business practices. Like take ATG for instance, another company just like CGTV and the seminar I attended advertising that you could be the next Nickelodeon or Disney Channel star. His family came across online ads and radio commercials for an audition.
There are a number of companies offering this kind of service, all promising Hollywood dreams. >> Hey kids, would you like to be on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon? How cool would it be working with Beyonce or Drake? Look your best and you could be discovered. >> Some ads say your kid could appear in Disney shows like Dog with a Blog if they just auditioned.
And the class was conducted by Daniel Simonus. You may recognize him from Wizards of Waverly Place. >> They’re lifting the curtain on a scheme costing parents thousands of dollars. >> We’re talking to actual casting agents who say it’s not procedure to take money up front. >> Back at the Charlotte Hotel, we still had questions for Dan Simon.
The actor used to appear on the Disney Channel, and despite Disney prohibiting its current and former actors from working with companies like this, ATG flew him in, paying him an undisclosed amount of money to talk to kids about acting. Did they tell you that they were a casting agency? >> Yeah, they did. They did. >> Okay.
>> Yeah. >> Well, the only way I can think to describe that is one of the uh one of the sales reps for the company maybe made a mistake and said something they shouldn’t have said. ATG is not an agency, though. That’s the misunderstanding, I believe. >> What is it? >> It is a uh training and marketing facility.
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It’s a It’s a company that that like I said hires people like me to come out and teach to prepare them to get agents to get jobs. >> And through different marketing tactics, it would basically seem like you signed up for their program and you could become a huge star. >> Got to keep dreaming. >> Antonio’s father, Richie Cologne, felt pressured to pay to get his son discovered.
>> She told me that if I act now, they’ll give me a discount for $2,500, but I only had to like 5:00 that afternoon. >> So Antonio did. He had to memorize and recite lines and was called back for a second audition. Coaches told him he could be famous. >> I was really, really, really excited just to just the thought of it just made me get all jittery.
>> But a Fox 46 investigation found this is all an act. The auditions are a ruse to get parents to shell out big bucks. ATG, the company behind this, isn’t even a casting agency. They sell head shot and acting classes where kids learn things like tongue twisters. The pricey packages start at two grand and go all the way up to $8,000.
Fox 46 checked with Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network. All say they’re not in any way affiliated with ATG. So why hold auditions if they’re really just selling acting lessons? ATG did not answer that. Instead, telling us, “We are careful not to say we are an agency, but in fact a training facility.
We also are careful not to guarantee that children will find agents or secure jobs.” And this is the same mo as CGTV, Adrien Aronte’s company. They are very careful to put in fine print on their website that they are not guaranteeing any jobs. And we’re going to get way deeper into Adrienne’s company specifically, but a lot of these acting coaches and classes, even the scammiest ones, are still technically real.
For instance, Brenda Song was discovered at a scam kiosk in a mall, but that company recognized real talent in her and hooked her up with a real agent. This era of child modeling scams was the perfect storm. You have Disney Channel actively advertising in every show and commercial this idea of child stardom and how to quote get famous. >> Four weeks ago, I was an everyday teenager living in Texas.
But I got the chance to live out my dream by being cast on Disney Channel’s next big show, The Sweet Life on Jet. >> And since the internet was still new, there were very few checks and balances to see if a talent search was actually legit or not. Since my mom had us in the industry since we were babies, she knew these scam agencies were out there and actually knew the one that my sister was going to wouldn’t yield any results.
But since we had begged her to go, I think she just thought no harm no foul. And I get comments from so many of you almost every day on our Disney Channel machine series explaining that you had a very similar experience with talent agencies. So when I heard Estabon founded one of these, I had to investigate.
Now, when you open up the website for his company CGTV, you’re immediately greeted with some recognizable faces and multiple huge TV shows and movies. Their mission statement reads, quote, “CGTV is a highlevel TV, film, and entertainment program designed to help connect talent to the industry.
Talent is guided by top celebrities from ABC, NBC, CBS, Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon shows, including CSI, 24, Modern Family, The Sweet Life on Deck, Disney 365, Drake and Josh, The Sweet Life of Zach and Cody, Austin and Ally, and Good Luck Charlie. Now, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you’ll actually find an education statement explaining what the program actually is.
Quote, “CGTV is an exclusive TV and film training program that teaches the necessary skills to be successful in the industry, as well as providing mentoring and networking opportunities not found elsewhere. Participants are selected based on their own natural talents, all through an audition process, including script reads.
Participants then take an online course to learn the ropes of audition techniques, self-promotion, and marketing within the industry. A week of in-person training follows and includes mentoring by industry veterans. The program concludes with a grand finale showcase where founder Adrienne Ramonte’s extensive industry contacts are in attendance, allowing the graduates to network further and create career opportunities.
Now, this is the important part of the education statement, so listen closely. The program is for educational purposes only. This is not an audition or guarantee of work. The presence of a talent agent or industry professional is not a guarantee or implication of a job offer of any kind. We are not offering employment, a job opportunity, or any audition, only training.
We are bonded in the state of California. Now, let’s make this clear. This company’s concept is not a complete scam. Upon reviewing their website, they make it clear that they offer only training to kids looking to break into the space, not an actual guarantee of jobs. But the problem is is the rest of their marketing pretty much implies success.
It’s a very specific technique that lets them market the promise of fame to kids and their unsuspecting parents and then point to the fine print and say, “See, we don’t guarantee any jobs.” Yet, you open up their page and it suddenly seems like they have all these graduates who’ve landed on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.
Now, let’s take a look through the celebrities CGTV claims to be on their roster because you’re going to see some familiar faces here. Of course, we have Adrienne Ramonte from The Sweet Life of Zach and Cody. There’s Sierra McCormack from Ant Farm. Kanya Chisolome from Big Time Rush. Gino Seagars from Pair of Kings. That was a show that aired briefly on Disney XD.
Joe Nees from Stuck in the Middle. Hutch Donno from Zeke and Luther. Daniel Curtis Lee from Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. Allison Stoner from Camp Rock. Jonathan Goldstein from Drake and Josh. And my personal favorite, Matthew Timonss from The Sweet Life on Deck. Oh my god, y’all. If you don’t remember Matthew Timonss, he genuinely was one of my favorite added characters to any TV show ever.
They obviously continued the story with the sweet on deck and they added a bunch of characters like a teacher and Bailey, but Woody was by far the funniest character. So, see if you look at this page, it’s like, wow, they have all these celebrities. But what’s interesting is if you scroll through their roster, some of the actors and actresses have CGTV graduate printed over their picture.
But if you look at the people who’ve gained so much success, like Allison Stoner and Sierra McCormack, they just have their pictures on the site. No explanation. Now, CGTV was only started in 2010. and Allison Stoner’s career had already pretty much peaked at that point. So, I guess it’s sort of clear that they put CGTV Graduate over the ones that actually graduated.
But unsuspecting parents and kids might just think Allison Stoner and Matthew Timonss graduated from his acting program and landed these huge life-changing jobs on the Disney Channel when that just wasn’t the case. Anyway, even though this website clearly states that it’s not an audition opportunity, multiple investigations from credible news organizations in cooperation with Disney and Nickelodeon revealed that if a company asks for fees upfront, it most likely isn’t a legitimate opportunity.
And while there’s definitely some people who’ve gotten some small roles after being on CGTV’s program, to credit that success to CGTV, I understand how marketing works, but they’re selling classes. And looking at all these actors, I mean, honestly, I would love to have an acting class from Matthew Timonss, Allison Stoner, and the dad from Drake and Josh.
Like, I’m not joking here. I think that all three of them are funny, genuinely good actors. Like, if their careers had gone a different way, I think they probably could have been in blockbuster movies. I mean, Allison Stoner already was. So, I definitely see wanting to go to a class, even if it’s just for that opportunity, I’m sure they do learn and grow there.
I also just see all these TV show logos and network logos and I just think, “Oh my goodness, like if I were a kid or a parent, no matter who was trying to get them on the show, I feel like no matter what, that would just blind them into signing up.” Now, if you ask CGTV, they’ll tell you that they’re the opposite of a scam.
Even linking their Better Business Bureau profile in the top of their website, featuring numerous testimonials from kids who’ve graduated from CGTV. And I’m going to start with the most famous one, the kid from the 2017 remake of Stephen King’s It. Hi, my name is Jackson. You might know me from the new movie that’s coming out, Stephen King’s It. I’m the role Georgie.
Just wanted to tell you guys that um Adrian is such a nice person. I definitely recommend him if you’re if you want to act because um he’s just this awesome person. He helped me through this program and he really helped me a lot. >> I’m sorry for all the it jump scares. They edited that in, not me. They’re genuinely so scary. Oh my gosh.
And while this kid could realistically be saying whatever a script or his mom wants him to say, I actually do believe him when it comes to Adrien being a good acting coach and a nice guy, I’m sure you have to be good with kids if you’re in this position. And while the character Estabbon was super funny and one of my favorite characters as a kid, Adrien Ramonte isn’t necessarily known for his acting.
He’s known for playing the character of Estabbon. >> Well, I was not only Esteban de Roses from the Sweet Life, but I’ve done many, many other shows. Um, some of people have watched me from early on from like Frraasier to 24 which I love with Kefir Sutherland. I’ve done NCIS Los Angeles, CSI New York, the original CSI. And most recently, I was uh I got to uh go on set of an amazing show out here in Hawaii called Hawaii 5, which is one of my favorite shows.
>> Classic. Okay. And then you’re here in Hawaii to share your experience and your knowledge in acting. But Adrienne Ramonte’s biggest project to date is The Sweet Life of Zach and Cody. And while Adrien is definitely multi-talented, being in musicals since the age of 14, parents are supposedly trusting him with their kids’ careers, when his IMDb and Wikipedia page are drier than they probably want their kids to be.
I know that sounds harsh, and he does have a couple of minor acting roles in notable films and TV, but it’s just the reality of the situation whenever you’re taking people’s money and providing them a service. One of the main reasons you’re hired to teach children how to act is because of your credentials.
And Adrien definitely knows this. I think that’s why he’s hired all these different child actors and people who’ve been on various kids shows. And I want to make it clear, it’s not just Adrienne Aronte who’s putting on these types of acting classes. It’s just interesting to see someone from the golden era of Disney Channel who was a side character and an adult at that take such an interest in developing childhood fame whenever he probably saw some of the darker sides of it. Now, I want to make it clear.
I think a lot of people, if money is not an object, they could see the value in this experience. In fact, I was actually looking into if they still even put on acting classes because I kind of wanted to go to one and give you all my experience. But I couldn’t find any updates from their page beyond 2023. However, when I searched, I did find a list of complaints on the Better Business Bureau.
And even though they do have an A+ rating, they have been sued in the past, and it highlighted some major issues with the application process for CGTV. a submission to the BBB scam tracker described CGTV as preying on desperate people with big dreams. One online anonymous complaint from this year writing, “It’s a casting scam.
I didn’t buy into it, but they target vulnerable people and want to bring up the price after getting everyone excited about a chance at fame. It was misleading. I was led to believe it was an audition for a commercial. They are preying on desperate people with big dreams. I believe they call anyone back who looks like they can afford their packages or seem desperate enough.
I find this unethical and it has to be some brand of pyramid scheme. Very fishy. The Adrienne Arontante guy has a suspicious past, too. Honestly, I have so much to say. I cannot say it here, but that experience was strange, and I have a horrible gut feeling about it. There needs to be further investigation into Adrian, CGTV, TCE, and ACA.
Nearly each one of these posts calls CGTV by a different name. And so I searched celebrity actors camp and I found an entire page just for the Atlanta seminar and nothing else that would be completely abandoned on Facebook after it ended in 2010. I found a post on Reddit from a worried friend saying quote, “So I’m not into acting whatsoever, but my friend is.
And she asked me for a ride to go to an audition, but when we got there, it wasn’t what I expected at all. It felt more like they were trying to hire for an MLM.” And for those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s a multi-level marketing scheme or like a pyramid scheme. Continuing on, she said, quote, “Having a conference about how hard it is to get auditions and having an actor tell you the same stuff for 3 hours.
” The quote, “Auditions were getting everybody in a big room one at a time, stand up, and say the line they prepared.” She seemed really excited about it, but as a third party, I’m worrying I’m seeing through the facade. Has anybody done this? Have you heard of it? Is it worth the money? On their Better Business Bureau website itself, CGTV’s business profile shows only a handful of complaints, but they highlight similar issues.
parents demanding refunds after family emergencies or illness, only to be told CGTV’s $1,000 registration fee is non-refundable. One Better Business Bureau complaint recounts a mother explaining her son fell ill and the company refused a refund, citing a non-refundable $1,000 fee despite the parent calling this quote unethical.
One parent of a CGTV attendee outlined just how costly and disheartening the entire process was. They explained that after their child was quote selected during a local audition, they were offered three program tiers. The cheapest being around $1,700 to $2,000 for just a 2-day experience.
This didn’t include airfare, hotel accommodations, or the mandatory $300 to $500 head shot. All of which were out-ofpocket expenses. And I’ve seen in other reviews that they make you use their photographers and stay at a very specific hotel that they say they have a deal for. But as you’ll see in other reviews, those hotels are really expensive.
They even mentioned working two jobs for 7 months and selling a sentimental gold necklace just to afford the program. Once they were there, the program offered little more than generic seminars and light acting exercises. On the final day, only one of the eight attending agencies showed any interest, and even then, that agency never followed up.
Reaching out to CGTV for help led nowhere. In the end, the parent described it as a heartbreaking scam and urged others to save their money and reach out to local talent agencies directly instead. Underneath that post, another person shared their henile experience, saying, “This program has also gone by the name CGTV, and when I went through it as a child, celebrity actors camp.
They’re all run by Adrienne Arante, and it seems like he has to rename and rebrand every few years cuz the scam is so obvious. My family dished out thousands from our savings. We’re an immigrant family that never had crazy amounts of money, and nothing came out of it. The whole experience was acting seminars that you could get for free by checking Craigslist and one big day to audition for quote agents that never get back to you.
I’m not shocked this isn’t a more widely known scam since the entertainment industry is probably covering it up and all kinds of child stars are paid to show up to events. Another person shared their experience from 2022 saying, “I went today and did an audition. Got a call back a couple hours ago. I’m glad I looked into it and found this post before I went.
I called out of work and was fully prepared to go, but then decided to do some research when the people calling me brought up that I would have to pay a fee tomorrow. I know that neither myself or my family have that money to pay for something like that right now. I’m bummed because I thought I had something with this.
As someone who’s been wanting a career in the industry as long as I can remember, this sucks. I’m going to keep trying though, and thank you for bringing light to this. Another parent called it quote complete scam. These are people that feed off of hopeful parents and kids that want to be stars. It is like a modeling scam that promises you plenty of auditions and photooots, but you have to pay thousands of dollars upfront.
I have seen this multiple times. Being as I was a parent who was trying to help her child reach their dream, I went to a seminar with a lot of energy and an exciting presentation of what they had to offer. I bought into it and ended up paying $5,000 because they saw potential in my daughter. They offered nothing special.
It was terrible because my daughter was so hopeful, but I was never called back and there was never anything to offer after that. Waste of money. Now, this is where it gets really interesting. One user highlighted what the famous actors actually do for CGTV, saying, quote, “They didn’t advertise the cost beforehand.
They get you all in a room and hype the kids up with the idea that they could be going to Hollywood.” They then get one of the kid stars from Ant Farm to stand up and help sell the dream. Which that would be Sierra McCormack, who we saw on their website. After that, they hand the parents a leaflet. And on the back page is where they state that the trip is $5,000.
That excludes flights and accommodations. So, all in all, for the child and one parent, the trip would be $6,500 to $7,000. They never spoke about the cost out loud. I don’t doubt that the company is genuine. I just think that this is a revenue generating activity for them. And honestly, that’s really what this boils down to.
Like, they clearly have some talent who’ve made it onto TV shows and movies, but this would be their main source of revenue, right? I don’t think they’re representing children as they saw on their website, they’re not getting them auditions. So where is the money coming from? These trips where they’re supposedly going to be in front of a bunch of agents, but if your kid is talented enough or has exactly what they’re looking for, they’re going to be cast no matter what.
And those talent directors and those talent agents are going to jump through hoops for them, not the other way around. But I do want to highlight some of the positive reviews because the actual experience seems to be pretty shielded from the public eye. A lot of parents writing in their reviews of the classes that they didn’t even know a trip was going to be offered for a fee.
And I mean, if you go research it on the Better Business Bureau website that’s linked on the front page of CGTV’s website, you’ll see five to six complaints about the non-refundable thousand fee, but the business has responded to every single one of those complaints. And in one of the responses, the business literally says, “I am the highest operating person at this company.
” So, I don’t know if it’s just Adrian responding to all these people himself, but either way, it was hard to find these negative reviews. If you search CGTV reviews on YouTube or online, you see a bunch of really positive reviews and different video testimonials like the one we watched earlier. For instance, Failey Rakatuvana, who was in a series with Carrie Washington, they stated, quote, “I started acting when I was about 10.
I started in musical theater and then went into a film and TV through an acting boot camp called CGTV. I heard a call on the radio to be on Disney Channel. I had always wanted to be on the Disney Channel, so I called them and auditioned. It turned out to be an audition for CGTV. I met my agent and manager through them and was eventually on Disney Channel, so I can’t complain.
But this goes directly against what CGTV claims on their website, saying that they don’t offer job opportunities or auditions specifically. And it’s sad to me that reviews like this are what directly caused GoFundMes like Seb, a young boy asking his friends and family for $15,000 on GoFundMe to go to a CGTV Hollywood camp.
And a lot of these negative complaints go as far back as 2010. So obviously CGTV would want positive reviews as well. >> Hi guys, my name is Beex Taylor Claus. You may know me from Killing Arrow or House of Lies, >> but two years ago, you wouldn’t have known me at all if it hadn’t been for CGTV. It was really exciting.
I mean, my mother and I when we got the news, >> well, at first she we didn’t really know because it took a while, but when we got it, we were definitely really excited. >> It was awesome. And I don’t think they’re going to just get them organically. And I don’t know if Adrian maybe offered a discount on the class, if they made a video testimonial.
And obviously, there’s no proof of anyone getting free classes to give a review, but I’ve been at different restaurants where they’ve offered me free appetizers, free dessert, just to write a review for their restaurant. Like, doesn’t it seem like every single one of those video testimonials feels like a kid reading off a script? And I know they’re child actors, but that should make it even more believable.
That’s what just makes it seem so disingenuous. And I mean, even if we were just dealing with a non-refundable thousand fee, I recently bought furniture from Furniture for Less in Las Vegas, and they have a zero refund policy. Some of the furniture I bought from them started arriving first, and it was already broken. So, I tried to cancel the other pieces, and they just wouldn’t let me.
They pointed to the small print of the contract I had signed and said, “See, no refunds.” And I was like, “Oh, well, you got me. Congrats.” But that doesn’t make the business any less shady. I guess read the contracts that you’re signing. And in all the responses on the Better Business Bureau website, CGTV states that they offered financial credit to anyone who complained.
And I guess that makes sense, like attend another course, but after you found out it’s a complete scam and they have your money, I guess they’re just keeping it. It definitely feels like furniture for less all over again. Speaking of which, one scathed parent would actually take Adrienne Aronte and the Celebrity Acting Camp, otherwise known as CGTV, to court in 2022, citing breach of contract.
Now, what I find interesting is Adrienne’s rebrand to Celebrity Actors Camp. Just for giggles, I put his website through the Way Back Machine, and it uncovered an unbelievable layer to the story. The website for Celebrity Actors Camp, the original iteration of CGTV, was active from the years 2010 to halfway through 2013.
But around 2015 is when the CGTV website started becoming active. And in the original iteration of that website, the actor who plays Mr. Mosby, Phil Lewis, is listed as a co-founder of CGTV. Now, the next year on the Way Back Machine, whenever you fast forward to 2016, all marks of Phil Lewis are completely removed from the website. And in some of the old interviews for CGTV and the celebrity actors camp and the celebrity experience, all the names that Adrian’s gone by, there have been pictures of Phil Lewis up on boards behind him. So, I just figured he was
one of the speakers. But the fact that he’s listed as co-founder, I don’t know what happened there. However, Phil Lewis has managed to preserve his relationship with Disney Channel, appearing as recent as in the Jesse finale, reprising his role as Mr. Mosby. Whereas Adrienne Aronte’s last appearance in the Disney Channel was the Sweet Life on Deck.
And if I had to guess, I’m sure the Disney Channel doesn’t love that he’s plastering all their logos up on a website saying, “Hey, I will train you to become a Disney Channel star.” The way Back Machine has really been the jackpot for this entire story because a lot of actors and actresses names are eventually erased from the CGTV website altogether.
For instance, there’s pictures of Ariel Winter from Modern Family speaking on stage on the CGTV website. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Adrienne Arante’s other company, The Celebrity Experience, boasts a huge list of celebrities, including but not limited to Debbie Ryan from the Sweet Life on Deck and Jesse, Karan Bar from Jesse and Bunked, Laura Morano, and y’all know how I feel about her.
>> I’ve never been here before. This is my first time in the celebrity experience. So, I’m really excited to just kind of meet all the kids. You know, I think sometimes obviously the industry is kind of like looked at as very glamorous, which I assure you, it really is not as glamorous as you think it is. >> Oh, so now the talking cheese is going to preach to us.
Vanessa Hutchkins, High School Musical alumni. Bella Thornne from Shake It Up. Victoria Justice, star of Victorious. James Maslo from Big Time Rush. Corbin Blue from High School Musical. Caroline Sunshine from Shake It Up. Spencer Baldman, who I think was my childhood crush. That name sounds way too familiar. Maline Patch from Riverdale, Garrett Clayton, and Ashley Argata, just to name a few.
Now, all of these celebrities would walk the celebrity experience red carpet and give their endorsement of the company. Some celebrities showing up multiple times. When Spencer Baldman was asked why he even came to the celebrity experience, he explained that it was because his colleagues had already been, which implies that there must have been some sort of incentive to go.
>> How did you get involved in the celebrity experience? >> I have a bunch of friends that have done it in the past and um I think it’s amazing just because you can talk to people about the business spec specifically kids. >> Anyway, remember how I said Adrienne was sued? Well, in the complaint Bread Benner versus Celebrity Actors Camp, apparent Allison Bradbener sued the company than doing business as Celebrity Actors Camp and Adrien Aronte for breach of contract.
Now, this is where it gets interesting. We finally get some concrete numbers on how much these acting classes cost, and it was way more than I thought. She alleged she paid $5500 for a quote VIP training package, online modules, live sessions, acting real, etc. But that was never delivered. A Hillsbury County Court entered a default judgment in her favor, awarding the full $5,500 plus fees.
Now, I do believe this was appealed. However, it’s not looking great, even if this was on the complete up and up and they did receive what they paid for because $5,500 is grossly overpriced for what you’re getting. And I see that some people say they see the, you know, value in it. There’s video testimonials of really famous actor kids saying that they wouldn’t be where they are today without Adrienne Arante and his huge company.
But $5,500 for an acting class and then a showcase in front of agents, parents are clearly banking on that showcase. And while they really do try to sell the skill sets that they’re trying to develop, I just don’t think that’s enough for how much they’re charging. So, is CGTV a scam? I’m not exactly sure.
I definitely wouldn’t go to the classes myself, but I do see why people are pulled in and legitimately fork over the money and then go. And if they are giving you the product, then no, it’s not a scam. But a recognizable face like Adrien promising a huge acting career if you just follow a program.
I know it’s not promised, but it’s marketed that way. And that is super enticing. And according to the reviews, the entire program is a little more than an acting class with a big showcase at the end with a bunch of agents that never even get back to you. So, it’s like, is it even really worth it if I read the reviews, really did the research, and then saw the price tag? No. Absolutely not.
Even if Allison Stoner was there teaching me how to break dance herself, and that’s me banking on the fact that they’re in-person classes. I feel like they tried to do this online during co like imagine they had a whole zoom call where it was just like Adrian like okay now make your face like this and I will say while there were some clips online of the seminars that he gave he is a really vibrant and interesting public speaker I would definitely love to see one of his seminars but the fact that he’s charging so much and it’s in the child acting
industry and Germaine selling point is your success stories yeah I’m going to have to pass on that and I know some people are going to comment about the title and the thumbnail of this video like oh my gosh it wasn’t really a secret He advertises it. But no, it was a secret. I mean, it wasn’t really shouted from the hilltops back then.
He obviously was trying to get it out there as much as he could within the industry. But these are through industry publications, industry interview outlets. Everything I found is through the acting industry. He wasn’t trying to really go mainstream with this. And maybe that was the goal at the end of the day after he had some really proven cases.
And while obviously according to the lawsuits, it doesn’t seem like it’s on the up and up. I will say if he’s providing the services that he’s actually saving, I can definitely see where some people find value in this. But I am definitely not one of those people. So, I am definitely going to have to pass on this. I don’t know about y’all.
If he does another acting class, would you show up? Be sure to comment below. Would you want Allison Stoner to teach you how to break dance or would you want Daniel Curtis Lee to teach you how to act? Let me know. Comment below and be sure to subscribe. I have a bunch of videos coming and you do not want to miss them.
Follow me on Instagram at jx3 and I will see you all later. Bye.
Disclaimer : This content may be created by AI for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to real persons, events, or places is coincidental.
