Massachusetts resident John Wilson, who was exonerated in the Varsity Blues college admissions fraud case, is suing Netflix for defamation over their documentary. The lawsuit alleges that Netflix provided a misleading account of the Wilson family’s involvement in the scandal. Wilson and his son, Johnny, claim that none of the depictions of the family in the documentary are accurate and that it was rushed to production, impacting public opinion before Wilson’s trial began.
Wilson was originally convicted of paying over $1.2 million to secure his children’s admissions to prestigious universities, but his conviction was overturned on appeal. Despite this, Netflix has not updated the documentary to reflect the new information, leaving viewers with a false impression of Wilson’s involvement in the scandal. Wilson’s legal team had warned Netflix before the documentary’s release to avoid spreading false information but were ignored.
The lawsuit outlines that Wilson’s donations went to college foundations and approved charities, not directly to coaches or college employees as Netflix depicted. Wilson’s son, Johnny, was a legitimate member of the USC water polo team, and the family met with coaches and received receipts for their donations. The Wilsons are seeking accountability and justice from Netflix for the harm caused to their reputation.
Wilson’s attorney accuses Netflix of intentionally disregarding the truth about the Wilson family and presenting them in an unfair and mean-spirited way. Despite being cleared of all core charges, Netflix has not corrected the narrative in the documentary. The lawsuit aims to hold Netflix accountable for the damage done to the Wilsons’ reputation and seek compensation for the harm caused.
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