Netflix Faces Multiple Lawsuits Over Unauthorized Photo Use in Documentaries
A Kentucky man is suing Netflix for over $1 million in damages, claiming that the true-crime documentary "The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" used his image without permission and portrayed him in a "sinister and defamatory light." The documentary focuses on convicted murderer Caleb "Kai" McGillvary, who gained viral fame as a hitchhiker who used a hatchet to subdue an attacker. The lawsuit alleges that Hazlewood's image was used in a scene that asked if he was a "guardian angel or a stone-cold killer." Hazlewood claims he had no connection to the subject of the documentary and was posing with a friend's hatchet because of his favorite childhood book.