Settlement reached regarding Húsó (The School of Housewives)
- Dóra Jó
- May 7
- 3 min read
On April 17, I finally reached a settlement with Glassriver regarding the TV series Húsó (The School of Housewives), which was based on my own experience.
Payment has been made, but after settling the legal costs of the past three years, almost nothing remains.
On May 6, I finally received confirmation that the following credits have been put into a correction process in the places where it matters to me professionally:
“Creator” on all episodes “Story by” on all episodes “Written by” on episode 1 under the pseudonym Hekla Hólm “Executive Producer”
These are the same credits I requested before the series premiered on January 1, 2024, but did not receive.
The settlement does not equal reconciliation, but it marks an important endpoint after a long and difficult chapter. What matters most to me is that I can finally put this matter behind me and I don´t have to go through a long, expensive and stressful court case. I also did not sign a confidentiality clause that restricts my freedom of expression beyond what can reasonably be considered normal.
I have learned a lot from this experience, but it is clear to me that I could not have done anything to prevent what happened. I was on sick leave when filming was moved forward without my knowledge. Until then, there had been no dispute or disagreement, but nevertheless I was excluded from the series as writer and director without a conversation.
This matter has caused me enormous strain over the past three years, and I do not take for granted that I was able to come through it intact.
In my attempt to have my rights acknowledged, I wrote hundreds of emails, most of which went unanswered, along with essays, articles and even an entire book. No one should have to spend years, health, money and immeasurable energy fighting for their basic rights to be respected.
I am proud of myself for standing up for my rights. Hopefully this experience, which I would not wish upon anyone, can one day lead to something good. If the film industry is to become a healthy and safe workplace, a lot needs to change.
Since the settlement was reached, I have felt an immense exhaustion, which is understandable after a long battle. I look forward to taking on projects that feel more constructive, nourishing and joyful once I have regained my energy.
I will always be grateful to those who were there for me and showed support.
It is an indescribable relief that this is finally over.
In a way, Húsó became the recovery story I had originally intended it to be.
Update regarding the Nordic Series Script Award nomination
It is, to say the least, an unusual situation to be listed as a nominated screenwriter more than a year after the award ceremony has taken place.
When the Nordic Series Script Award nominations were first announced in January 2025, my lawyer’s request to have my name added to the list of nominated writers and for me to be invited to the ceremony was rejected.
Now, more than a year later, the official websites of Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Göteborg Film Festival and IMDb have been updated, and my name has been added as one of the nominated writers.
Icelandic media coverage of the settlement:
More articles I have written about the case and the film industry can be found here.
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