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Varsity Blues’ Wilson Family Suing Netflix for Defamation Over College Admissions Scandal Doc
Former Staples executive John Wilson is suing Netflix alongside his son, Johnny Wilson, for defamation related to the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal documentary made by the streaming giant.
Filing on March 4, John and Johnny alleged that Netflix included aspects of their college admissions scandal involvement and charges deceitfully, leading viewers to leave the documentary thinking they bribed, cheated and lied to ensure Johnny’s place at the University of Southern California.
“Netflix willingly chose to group my highly qualified children and me into a scandal involving celebrities who, unlike me, pled guilty and acknowledged their roles in shameful actions like photoshopping images of fake athletes, cheating on tests and making bribe payments to coaches,” John explained in a statement related to the lawsuit. “In the interest of justice and accountability, Netflix must pay for the deliberate and devastating harm that they’ve done to my family.”
John was one of 50 people convicted on charges related to the admissions scandal in 2021, with accusations ranging from conspiracy and fraud to bribery. Unlike other celebrity and high-ranking parents involved in the legal bombshell, however, all of John’s core convictions related to the Varsity Blues cases were dismissed after a hearing at the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
In the case of the Wilson family, John was accused of paying USC $220,000 to ensure Johnny’s place at the university via the water polo team. He was also accused of paying $1 million to solidify his daughter’s acceptance at Harvard and Stanford. While John was wrapped up in the Varsity Blues scandal, his legal team argued that he did not knowingly contribute to bribery or cheating, but rather thought he was making donations above the fray. Lawyers further argued that Johnny – unlike other children involved in the college admissions scandal – possessed actual athletic talent.
Of their decision to pursue a lawsuit against Netflix, John stated, “While justice has largely been restored in the court of law, exoneration is still needed in the court of public opinion, particularly as the Netflix film continues to falsely smear my family and shamefully misleads viewers to discredit the hard-earned accomplishments and talents of my innocent children. We have suffered tremendous harm as Netflix chose sensationalism over accuracy, a deliberate choice which destroyed our reputations and grossly violated the ethics of documentary filmmaking as well as basic decency.”
The Wilson family is seeking a payout from Netflix over the perceived damages, though it remains unclear the exact amount. They are also calling for the streaming giant to remove false statements from the documentary about them, as well as publicly apologize.
