Former college football coach Jason Brown is suing Netflix over his portrayal in Last Chance U.
According to TMZ, Brown filed a $30 million lawsuit against Netflix. The legal filing submitted in Los Angeles County claimed the documentary series cost him money by “portraying him in a false and offensive light through selective editing and misrepresentation.”
Brown alleged that Netflix “distorted” footage “to depict him as a volatile, abusive tyrant for their financial gain” when featuring Independence Community College in Last Chance U’s third season.
According to TMZ, Brown is seeking $10 million in lost income, $10 million in reputational damage, $5 million for emotional distress, and $5 million for punitive damages.
“I know the viewership. I know the money that’s involved if you just do the simple math, and we haven’t gotten anything,” Brown told TMZ last month. “And a guy like myself is arguably blackballed from the profession, can’t get a job in the profession. Yet you continue to make money off my name, image, and likeness.
“So, I do have a little bit of a sour taste, and I do have an issue with it.”
Chesnot/Getty Images
As part of his lawsuit, Brown claimed college football and XFL teams rescinded coaching offers after the show aired. He also feels the show “dramatized” him likening himself to Adolf Hitler.
In 2019, Brown resigned after telling German player Alexandros Alexiou that, “I’m your new Hitler.” He didn’t apologize for those comments and claimed the Montgomery County Chronicle “set the program back significantly” by publishing the text message in a resignation letter listing his accomplishments.
Brown later received eight felony charges related to blackmail and identity theft. He allegedly posed as an attorney to send cease-and-desist letters to Montgomery County Chronicle and other outlets.
Multiple players featured on Last Chance U also sued Netflix and other defendants for $30 million last month.
Related: Former ‘Last Chance U’ Coach Jason Brown Considering Suing Netflix
