Netflix Sued for $1 Million Over Hit Documentary
Netflix is being sued for $1 million over the use of a photo in its true-crime documentary Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker. As reported by The Wrap, Taylor Hazelwood is suing the streamer over the use of one of his Instagram photos in the film. Hazelwood, how is from Kentucky, filed the lawsuit in Texas and has accused Netflix of defamation and misappropriation of his likeness or right of publicity. The photo was used in the documentary which follows the story of Caleb "Kai" McGillvary, a man who intervened during a woman's assault on the side of a highway, the video of the incident which later went viral and McGillvary was himself later convicted of the murder of Joseph Galfy.
As for Hazelwood's lawsuit, it claims that the documentary "inappropriately used Hazelwood's photograph and depicts him in a sinister light." In the film, the 2019 photo shows Hazelwood with a hatchet, reportedly reminding Hazelwood of his favorite childhood book Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, whom he tags in the photo. In the documentary, the photo is paired with audio saying, "stone-cold killer" and captions that read "You can never trust anyone" that is then followed by photos of McGillvary. According to Hazelwood's lawsuit, he is not in any way connected to McGillvary or his story but the use of the photo has caused him to suffer from "reputational harm, stress, anxiety, and anguish" as well as "constant fear of losing future employment or relationships because of people believing he is dangerous or untrustworthy."
"Mr. Hazelwood was never contacted, at all, by Netflix or any person involved with the making of the film, regarding the original context of his photograph or their planned use of his photograph," Hazelwood's attorney, Angela Buchanan, said in a statement to Variety. "Because of the lack of due diligence on the part of those who took and used Mr. Hazelwood's photograph and cast him side-by-side with a convicted murder, Mr. Hazelwood has a constant fear regarding the impact the film will have on his personal relationships, his employment and his reputation in general."
Released in January, Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker tells the story of McGillvary, who rose to prominence in 2013 after a local news interview of him explaining his involvement in an incident where he stepped in with his hatchet to ward off Jett McBride, with whom he had hitched a ride, after McBride hit a person with his car and tried to assault someone else. McGillvary's interview gained a lot of attention, even landing him on Jimmy Kimmel Live, but a few years later in 2019, he was convicted of murdering New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy. He is currently serving a 57-year sentence.
