10 TV Scenes That Led To Massive Lawsuits
6. Hannah Baker's Suicide Inspiring Real Suicide Attempts - 13 Reasons Why
Teen drama series 13 Reasons Why was immediately controversial upon release due to its matter-of-fact depiction of suicide, namely that of focal figure Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford), which many critics and mental health advocates believed could trigger vulnerable youngsters to attempt suicide.
The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry eventually published a study finding that teen suicide rose by almost 30% after the show's release, while Google searches in the U.S. for "how to commit suicide" increased by 26%.
Netflix received particular criticism for the show's depiction of mental health professionals as unhelpful and also showing Hannah's suicide in detail in the first season's finale.
The streamer responded by adding advisory warnings to the series' more sensitive episodes, and in July 2019, over two years after the show debuted, they edited Hannah's suicide scene to be less graphic. But the matter didn't end there.
John Herndon, whose 16-year-old daughter committed suicide after allegedly watching the show, recently filed a class action lawsuit, claiming that Netflix willingly released the show despite having full knowledge of the risks it posed to vulnerable youngsters, who could be targeted by the streaming service's selective content algorithm.
The suit also blames Netflix for hundreds of suicides which have occurred since the show's release. The lawsuit is ongoing.