Fired Netflix Exec Sues Company After Revealing During ‘trust Exercise’ That He Took Medically-prescribed Ketamine

A erstwhile ocular effects executive for Netflix has reportedly revenge a suit against nan streaming giant, alleging he was terminated from his $1.1 million-a-year position aft disclosing his usage of medically prescribed ketamine during a spot workout astatine an executive retreat.

Kevin Baillie, who served arsenic vice president and caput of imaginative astatine Eyeline Studios, is seeking compensatory damages, mislaid wages and punitive damages successful a tribunal filing detailing nan circumstances astir his dismissal successful April 2026.

According to ineligible documents seen by nan New York Post, nan contention stems from a January 2026 “Vulnerability-Trust exercise” held astatine Sendero Ranch, a Netflix-owned spot successful Northern California. During nan exercise, Baillie disclosed that he had undergone supervised ketamine treatments astatine a Santa Barbara session successful precocious 2022 to dainty objective slump pursuing nan decease of his mother.

The suit states that Netflix past opened an enquiry into nan matter. By mid-March, a institution interrogator questioned Baillie astir nan aesculapian treatments, framing nan enquiry successful a measurement that implied imaginable recreational supplier use, according to nan tribunal filings.

Baillie claims a Netflix lawyer later confirmed nan ketamine disclosure influenced his termination, which he alleges besides costs him up to a twelvemonth of severance pay.

Beyond nan aesculapian therapy, nan suit describes a broader workplace civilization successful which firm leaders encouraged drinking and informal behavior. Baillie alleges that Eyeline Studios CEO Jeff Shapiro maintained a individual barroom successful his agency — wherever he served intoxicant aft meetings pinch apical executives, including Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos — and purchased intoxicant for labor during institution trips.

The tribunal papers besides outline an incident astatine nan January retreat wherever Baillie drank a pint of Guinness while opinionated connected his caput aft colleagues requested a demonstration.

The filing notes that during a anterior capacity evaluation, guidance had advised Baillie to somewhat trim his usage of profanity without eliminating it entirely.

Baillie, whose profession includes ocular effects activity connected awesome franchises specified arsenic Harry Potter and Pirates of nan Caribbean, has reportedly requested a assemblage proceedings for nan suit, which besides seeks compensation for affectional distress.

The Independent has contacted Netflix for comment.