Netflix is continued by the former Dutch drug baron Adrianus Van Wesenbeeck for defamation, copyright violation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violation of the right of advertising on their series and the television series “Undercover” and “Ferry”, which, according to him, are illegally based on his life.
A federal trial filed against the streamer in Florida Tuesday affirms that the two organized dramatic franchises of crime – made of three “infiltrated” seasons and two films and series “ferry” – represent characters inspired by him as brutal serial killers and human traffickers – inaccurate representations which, according to him, have “inflicted emotional damage important ”.
Van Wesenbeeck (which is also known by the first name Janus) has never been accused of murder or trafficking in human beings, but is notoriously known as a great drug trafficker on an international scale. He was condemned and imprisoned with early release in Belgium in 2011-2015 for drug trafficking, his participation in a criminal organization and money laundering.
Although the trial admits that Netflix has never explicitly approved these projects as loose adaptations of Van Wesenbeeck’s life, the actors representing these roles have confirmed to the press that they are, and the projects have been largely reported as such.
Netflix refused the request for Thewrap comments.
“These deliberate and misleading presentations have caused significant damage by blurring the border between fiction and reality and wrongly associating the applicant with the character of Ferry Bouman,” said the “Ferry” trial.
The costume also claims that “Ferry 2” used material protected by the copyright of Van Wesenbeeck’s book “Drugsbaron” and a promotional song for the film “Reference to Mr. Van Wesenbeeck and his deceased wife, Lydia, in a degrading and mocking way”.
Van Wesenbeeck requests actual damages greater than $ 26 million, compensatory damages of more than $ 50 million and punitive interests exceeding $ 50 million. He also seeks the recovery of the profits from the franchise “Ferry” and “Undercover” estimated at more than $ 166 million. In addition, the trial requires an injunction, lawyers’ fees and any other legal remedy available.
The “Ferry” franchise follows the holder Bouman Ferry which, through two films and a series, was vaguely based on the life of Van Wesenbeeck. Not all stories met during the five years of the franchise were not based directly on the own experiences of Van Wesenbeeck. The most recent film, “Ferry 2”, released on December 20 of last year.
“Undercover” was presented in first in 2019, with season 2 during November 2020 and season 3 in November 2021.
