An American recently filed a complaint against Netflix for an unexpected reason, following the success of this documentary which captivated subscribers.
In January 2023, Netflix uploaded the documentary film Kai, the hatchet hitchhiker in which we discover the journey of this young homeless man who had told in a sensational way in front of the cameras of KMPH that he had saved a woman from a dangerous criminal. In the wake of this heroic act, the young man had made the rounds of television sets. But his success story ended when the authorities accused him of having killed Joseph Galfy, a 73-year-old lawyer. If the documentary film had fascinated Internet users, now it is at the heart of an unexpected complaint.
A complaint against Netflix for a surprising reason
According to Washington Post, Taylor Hazlewood, a man living in Kentucky, sued Netflix over the use of his image. “Mister Hazlewood is, obviously, very angry at Netflix for implicating him and linking him to a story and an infamous individual.“, indicates an excerpt from his complaint. The young man appears with a machete in his hand in the documentary. The only problem: he has no connection with this affair. In the days which followed the posting of the documentary, Taylor Hazlewood received several messages from his relatives informing him of the broadcast of this image, which he had posted on his Instagram account. One of his friends, living in Hawaii, had written to him: “It’s weird, but I’m watching a documentary about the murders and they start showing pictures and I think I recognize you. They stole your photo? How did you find yourself in there?“, while another had sent him: “Dude, is that you on Netflix?!“. Following the release of this image, the 27-year-old American seeks at least $1 million in damages.
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Kai, the hatchet hitchhiker : the man at the heart of the documentary furious against Netflix
Kai Lawrence was also quick to react and accused Netflix of pitifully exploiting him without having paid him. “Netflix exploits me pitifully. They made a movie about my life story before my arrest, but refuse to pay me anything for it“, he said in an exchange of e-mails with the American media. The Tab. “If someone makes a film about the career of O. J Simpson, you can be sure he’s going to make money. Guys who kill and rape women pay off, but I saved a woman from death and I killed a rapist, so Netflix exploits me without a shred of mercy. What is this mess ?“. Kai Lawrence is currently serving a 57-year prison sentence after being convicted of the murder of Joseph Galfy.
Article written in collaboration with 6Médias
