When Rejects Strike Back: On The Next Maury….

An openly gay American Idol reject who “pulled a Kanye” on comedian Dane Cook during the show’s live TV finale in May is preparing to file a $300 million lawsuit against show producers, accusing them of “exploiting” his sexuality.

The boaed and bedazzled Ian Benardo became a viral sensation when he did the verbal Marcerena all over “Gloria” during an audition for Idol in New York City in the Summer of 2006.

But the web world hadn’t seen the last of Ian.

Fast forward three years. The cocky man then stormed the stage at the program’s live finale in May and began verbally abusing judge Simon Cowell, saying: “I’m more entertaining than you.”

It was all one big act…and one of the gravest mistakes he’s ever made Ian now says. According to legal documents filed with the New York State Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday, Bernardo was put up to the stunt by Idol producers, who invited him back this year to be “outrageous” and “gay.”

After all, the Brooklyn native’s onscreen antics are well-documented in the reality world. It was only a few years ago that Ian threw a tantrum after the dry-humping he tried to pass off as dancing earned him a screw face from the judges’ panel of So You Think You Can Dance.

However, Bernardo insists Idol producers “exploited his sexual orientation” during his 2006 audition, telling him to “gay it up.” These orders were reportedly repeated when he returned in May 2010.

“I became a paid employee when they asked me back. Only after that did I start hearing, ‘Why don’t you act more faggy?’ They encouraged me to be totally outlandish, they wanted me to dress in drag and kept using anti-gay slurs to tell me how to behave.”

Benardo is seeking damages for emotional injuries and for loss of employment opportunities.