A man is suing Netflix for more than $1 million after it used his photo in an unrelated true-crime documentary while asking: 'Is this a guardian angel or a stone-cold killer?'
The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" used an image of an unrelated man, Taylor Hazlewood, the lawsuit alleges.Insider
A Kentucky man is suing Netflix after it allegedly used his photo without permission in a true-crime documentary about a convicted murderer, according to multiple reports.
Taylor Hazlewood is seeking more than $1 million in damages, saying the documentary "The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" portrays him in a "sinister and defamatory light," the Dallas Morning News reported.
During one scene, Hazlewood's image is onscreen as a voiceover asks: "Is this a guardian angel or a stone-cold killer?" the paper reported the complaint as saying.
Despite this, his lawyer, Angela Buchanan, told Buzzfeed News that Hazlewood had no relationship to the subject of the documentary.
The documentary focuses on Caleb "Kai" McGillvary, who became an internet celebrity in 2013 after he intervened in an assault, but he was later convicted of murder.
McGillvary gained viral video stardom as a hitchhiker who used his hatchet to subdue Jett McBride, a man who gave him a ride before attacking a utility worker. Speaking to local media afterwards, McGillvary delivered an endearing homily about love and respect before saying "smash, smash, smash!" to describe how he used his hatchet to intervene in the assault.
But three months later he was wanted for the killing of New Jersey lawyer Joseph Galfy. Despite pleading self-defense, McGillvary was convicted of first-degree murder in 2019, as The Washington Post reported.
The documentary looks at McGillvary's path from video star to convict, using multiple screenshots from social media to illustrate — one of which, per the lawsuit, is actually from Hazlewood's Instagram account.
Hazlewood was first alerted to the use of the image, which shows him holding a hatchet, when friends began contacting him after the Netflix documentary aired.
"Wtf? Explain please," one friend messaged him, per the Dallas Morning News, citing the complaint.
"Are you kidding? Did you not know you were going be in it?" asked another, the paper reported.
Hazlewood says he was posing in the photo with a friend's hatchet because he was reminded of his favorite childhood book, "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen, the Post reported.
Netflix did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside of working hours.
McGillvary is also suing Netflix, alleging that the company is among several that are "ruthlessly exploiting a hero's life story for money," according to the Fresno Bee.
The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" used an image of an unrelated man, Taylor Hazlewood, the lawsuit alleges.Insider
- A Kentucky man is suing Netflix over the use of his image in a true-crime documentary, per reports.
- A picture of Taylor Hazlewood was used in a murder story he had no connection with, a lawsuit claims.
- "The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" tells the story of viral star-turned-killer Kai McGillvary.
A Kentucky man is suing Netflix after it allegedly used his photo without permission in a true-crime documentary about a convicted murderer, according to multiple reports.
Taylor Hazlewood is seeking more than $1 million in damages, saying the documentary "The Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" portrays him in a "sinister and defamatory light," the Dallas Morning News reported.
During one scene, Hazlewood's image is onscreen as a voiceover asks: "Is this a guardian angel or a stone-cold killer?" the paper reported the complaint as saying.
Despite this, his lawyer, Angela Buchanan, told Buzzfeed News that Hazlewood had no relationship to the subject of the documentary.
The documentary focuses on Caleb "Kai" McGillvary, who became an internet celebrity in 2013 after he intervened in an assault, but he was later convicted of murder.
McGillvary gained viral video stardom as a hitchhiker who used his hatchet to subdue Jett McBride, a man who gave him a ride before attacking a utility worker. Speaking to local media afterwards, McGillvary delivered an endearing homily about love and respect before saying "smash, smash, smash!" to describe how he used his hatchet to intervene in the assault.
But three months later he was wanted for the killing of New Jersey lawyer Joseph Galfy. Despite pleading self-defense, McGillvary was convicted of first-degree murder in 2019, as The Washington Post reported.
The documentary looks at McGillvary's path from video star to convict, using multiple screenshots from social media to illustrate — one of which, per the lawsuit, is actually from Hazlewood's Instagram account.
Hazlewood was first alerted to the use of the image, which shows him holding a hatchet, when friends began contacting him after the Netflix documentary aired.
"Wtf? Explain please," one friend messaged him, per the Dallas Morning News, citing the complaint.
"Are you kidding? Did you not know you were going be in it?" asked another, the paper reported.
Hazlewood says he was posing in the photo with a friend's hatchet because he was reminded of his favorite childhood book, "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen, the Post reported.
Netflix did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside of working hours.
McGillvary is also suing Netflix, alleging that the company is among several that are "ruthlessly exploiting a hero's life story for money," according to the Fresno Bee.
