Who is Mary Jayne? 'MasterChef' contestant sues producers over forced shoot

After disappearing from season 11 of MasterChef: Legends, Mary Jayne Buckingham is again in the news. The contestant is now suing three production companies for the reality cooking show, claiming they ignored her call for medical attention and forced her to shoot the episode instead.

Buckingham claimed that she informed the producers about her condition before filming the baking challenge, but despite her repeated urges for medical attention, the producers forced her to film the challenge. She suffered a stroke after 14 hours of filming the episode.

During the baking challenge, Buckingham reportedly informed the medic that she was having difficulty moving her leg and the left side of her body was sagging. She even told the producers, but they convinced her to keep filming. This exacerbated the stroke, leading to urgent medical attention. It was only at the behest of a fellow contestant that she was moved to a hospital.

Buckingham is suing the show's producers for negligence after making a recovery. Reportedly, production companies Endemol Shine North America and Berkeley Productions have been listed as defendants.

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Exploring Buckingham's life outside 'MasterChef'

The hospice nursing assistant from Bastrop, Texas was one of the oldest contestants in MasterChef: Legends season 11. Buckingham was adopted at birth when she was 4-days-old.

Born on July 1, 1960, in Bastrop, Texas, she was raised in a Southern family and spent four years of her formative moments in Europe.

Her father was a "Lt. Col. in the Air Force" who had played "football for West Point with some pretty amazing players." He also loved running.

Her food journey started because of her mother, who passed away when she was 19. Buckingham's mother insisted that her daughter taste every European cuisine to develop her taste buds.

A two-time cancer survivor, Buckingham loves baking, especially pie. She won the National Pie Championship and is also called 'The Pie Queen.' According to her Instagram profile, she has been hailed as a Pie Queen since 2009.

Buckingham always finds time to cook lip-smacking dishes for her loved ones. A cookbook collector of more than 200 books, she initially cooked at home and then moved into competitive cooking. Buckingham slowly spread her wings and documented her culinary journey on various social media platforms.

She is a pet lover with seven Chihuahuas and one Cat. Buckingham made her first Instagram account in June 2021, where she posts pictures of mouth-watering dishes, including pies, cookies, cakes, spaghetti, brownies and much more. She currently has 1,593 followers.

Buckingham started her own YouTube channel and also started giving online cooking classes. She joined MasterChef to prove her skills but left the show mid-season due to health issues.