Have you ever been watching a true crime documentary on Netflix and suddenly see someone you know? No, me neither. But that’s what happened to 27-year-old respiratory therapist, Hazlewood. His phone started blowing up with friends messaging him saying, “why are you on Netflix?” and “they put your picture up with a murderer lol.” Turns out, a photo of him posing with a hatchet more than 3½ years earlier had been used in the documentary “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker.” Classic Netflix.
Feeling defamed and a tad violated, Hazlewood decided to take legal action against the streaming giant. He’s seeking at least $1 million in damages, which honestly might be worth it for the story. His lawsuit states that “Hazlewood is, of course, beyond angry that Netflix would implicate and connect him to such a salacious and infamous story and individual.” Can’t say I blame him.
If you haven’t heard of Caleb “Kai” McGillvary before, then where have you been? This man was catapulted to internet stardom after bludgeoning a man with a hatchet to stop him from killing others. And if that wasn’t enough to immortalize him in the annals of internet history, he also went on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and has an entry on the “Know Your Meme” website. Suffice it to say, he’s a bit of a big deal.
Fast-forward to 2019 and Hazlewood is hanging out with a friend, holding a hatchet, and reminiscing about his favorite childhood book, “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen (as you do). He decides to take a photo and post it on Instagram. Cut to over three years later and his photo is being used in a Netflix documentary about McGillvary. The irony is palpable.
In February, McGillvary sued Netflix and several other defendants, accusing the company of “ruthlessly exploiting a hero’s life story for money” by releasing a documentary about him. He’s seeking more than $1.3 million, which is a lot of money, but I guess if you’re spending the rest of your life in prison it can’t hurt to have a few extra dollars. His case is still working its way through the courts, but we’ll be sure to update you when we know more.
Hazlewood, on the other hand, just wants to clear his name and prevent this from happening to someone else. He’s suing Netflix to hold them accountable and vindicate himself in the eyes of those who don’t know him as well. The suit alleges that thousands — if not millions — of people will see his photo as a narrator speaks of a “stone-cold killer” and text pops up next to the image: “You can never trust anyone.” So yeah, I’d be pretty miffed too.
Serious News: washingtonpost
