After earlier this month warning the company that a “day of reckoning” was coming for its reality TV empire, now attorneys for the still unnamed cast and crew from series on Bravo, E! and CNBC say their ongoing investigation into allegations has already uncovered serious issues but that the extent of the claims won’t be clear until the company releases people from their NDAs.

“We are left with the inescapable conclusion that NBC and its production partners are grappling with systemic rot for which sunlight is the first necessary remedial measure,” writes attorney Bryan Freedman in a letter to NBCU’s general counsel dated Aug. 20. “To date, that has been impossible owing to the draconian terms of NBC’s contracts with its cast and crew, which contain onerous confidentiality provisions coupled with ruinous penalties for breach. To ensure silence, NBC has been wielding these contractual terms like a sword.”

The cast and crew, which is also represented by Mark Geragos, have claimed they were fueled with alcohol while being deprived of food and sleep, denied mental health treatment, trapped in their series even under “dire circumstances,” and that acts of sexual violence have been covered up. They also allege that there have been issues with child labor, racism, sexism and revenge porn.

[The issue is apparently with both the “Real Housewives” franchise and “Vanderpump Rules.” I guess the strike isn’t the only issue at hand with NBCUniversal, eh? Speaking of which, are reality-show performers represented by SAG-AFTRA? I genuinely don’t know, but I’ll try to find out. — Ed]