A Kentucky man is suing Netflix after the streamer reportedly used a photo of him in a recent true-crime documentary, “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker.”
Taylor Hazlewood, a 27-year-old respiratory therapist, filed the lawsuit in a Texas state court against the popular streaming service last Monday.
The suit accuses Netflix of defamation and “misappropriating his likeness” by using a photo of him holding a hatchet in the documentary, according to The Washington Post. Hazlewood has no relation to the documentary.
The flick was posted by Hazlewood on his Instagram in June 2019 in a homage to his favorite childhood book, “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen.
The suit also alleges that near the end of the film, a voice asks, “Is this a guardian angel or a stone-cold killer?” right when Hazlewood’s photo appears on screen.
Hazlewood claims he was clueless about the existence of “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker” until he started receiving messages from concerned friends and family about his “appearance” in the film.
He is seeking more than $1 million in damages.
Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost.
Premiering earlier this year on Jan. 10, the 85-minute documentary centers on a Canadian hitchhiker, Caleb “Kai” McGillvary.
“The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker” is a “shocking documentary” that follows “a happy-go-lucky nomad’s ascent to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that resulted in his imprisonment,” according to its official synopsis.