Cape Cod father whose Varsity Blues convictions were overturned sues Netflix over documentary

BARNSTABLE, Mass. — A Cape Cod father whose convictions in the Varsity Blues scandal were overturned and his son have filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix over a documentary that mentions them.

John B. Wilson and his son, John B. Wilson Jr., are claiming that Netflix defamed them in the documentary, “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admission Scandal.” The lawsuit was filed March 4 in Barnstable Superior Court by the family’s lawyers, Attorney William Charles Tanenbaum of Beverly Hills, California, and Boston attorneys Howard Cooper and Christian Kiely.

Netflix “depicted false narratives about the Wilsons while consciously disregarding the substantial evidence given to them and that was publicly available prior to publishing their film,” the lawsuit states.

The “highly unfair, inaccurate and defamatory” documentary “has destroyed the Wilsons’ reputations in the eyes of Netflix’s, on information and belief, more than 260 million global subscribers and 720 million global viewers,” the lawsuit states.

The elder Wilson was among several parents who were charged and ultimately convicted on charges related to the large-scale college bribery admissions scandal. His convictions were appealed and overturned last year, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit states that prior to the film’s scheduled release on March 17, 2021, the Wilson family “emphatically warned” Netflix in a detailed letter from their lawyer that they “could not simply be grouped into a narrative with other individuals who, unlike him, had pleaded guilty (because they were guilty) to their roles in the college admissions scandal.”

The lawsuit claim the Wilsons “have suffered, and continue to suffer, substantial harm and damages in Massachusetts and elsewhere.”

“The Wilsons are entitled to public apologies and retractions and the award of significant monetary damages,” the lawsuit states.

More than 50 people were involved in the high-profile scandal, including celebrities, were convicted on charges of conspiracy, bribery and fraud for cheating to get their children into prestigious universities.

Among them were actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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