In what seems to be a case of mistaken identity, a Kentucky man is suing Netflix for defamation, alleging that the streaming giant took a picture from his Instagram and used it in a documentary about a “hatchet wielding hitchhiker,” WFAA reports.
The man, Taylor Hazlewood, alleges that the streaming giant used his photo in a scene when referencing a “stone-cold killer” in the documentary, The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker. However the “stone cold killer” is actually the subject of the documentary, Caleb “Kai” McGillvary, to whom Hazlewood has no connection.
Hazlewood, a respiratory therapist, started receiving messages from friends.
“They put your picture up with a murderer lol,” one friend said.
“So something not so chill happens later in the documentary. Youre [sic] picture shows up again after hes [sic] charged with murder and its just bad vibes,” another said.
The picture in question was of Hazlewood holding a Hatchet in June 2019 along with the caption, “Hatchet by Gary Paulsen,” a reference to his favorite childhood book.
Hazlewood is seeking over $1 million in punitive damages.