The hit Netflix series Last Chance U offers viewers a glimpse into the world of Junior College athletics, proving to be a highly successful project. However, recent developments have shown that the show has caused Netflix more trouble than it was worth, as it now faces a second lawsuit related to the series. Last month, six former players from East Mississippi Community College, featured in the first two seasons, filed a lawsuit against the streamer seeking $30 million for the wrongful misappropriation of their likeness and fair compensation for their work.
Among the defendants in the joint lawsuit filed by John Franklin III, Ronald Ollie, C.J. Reavis, De’Andre Johnson, Tim Bonner, and Isaiah Wright are Netflix, East Mississippi Community College, the EMCC Athletic Director, and Greg Whiteley, the executive producer of Last Chance U. Shortly after the lawsuit was announced, former Independence Community College head coach Jason Brown, whose program was featured in seasons three and four, revealed in an interview with TMZ that he was considering a potential lawsuit himself.
That lawsuit has now been filed. First reported by TMZ, Brownsubmitted his lawsuit against Netflix and the Last Chance U producers in a Los Angeles County court this week, claiming that he was “portrayed in a false and offensive light through selective editing and misrepresentation” on the show. Similar to the players’ lawsuit, Brown is also seeking $30 million, detailing in his conversation with TMZ last month his claims of $10 million for lost income, $10 million for reputational damage, $5 million for emotional distress, and $5 million in punitive damages.
If you’re familiar with Brown from the show or his social media presence after leaving Independence Community College, you might argue that his negative reputation is self-inflicted. He garnered significant scrutiny after leaked text messages from 2019 revealed him telling a German player on his team that he was “his new Hitler”, which ultimately led to his resignation. Although he issued a half-hearted apology on social media for the incident, he has publicly expressed his belief that the situation was “dramatized” by Netflix, claiming this led to “$600,000 offers” from NCAA programs and XFL teams being rescinded.
When asked for a comment on the matter, Netflix did not respond to TMZ’s inquiry.
