Amazon sued for defamation over ‘Hollywood Hustler’ documentary
A producer sued Amazon Studios, Vice Studios and director Rebecca Chaiklin on Thursday, alleging he was falsely portrayed as an accomplice of convicted fraudster Zach Horwitz in the recent documentary series “Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scam.”
The producer, Julio Hallivis, claims his reputation has been ruined by the false implication that he acted as an informant and was complicit in Horwitz’s crimes.
Horwitz is serving a 20-year prison sentence for what federal prosecutors describe as a $650 million Ponzi scheme. He pleaded guilty to charges that he falsified contracts with Netflix and HBO to defraud about 250 investors.
Hallivis was his business partner in 1inMM Productions, which produced several films. According to the lawsuit, Hallivis was not involved in the financing and knew nothing about the Ponzi scheme until Horwitz was arrested.
The lawsuit alleges that the three-episode docuseries, presented by Amazon MGM Studios and produced by Library Films, Vice Studios and Article 19 Films, repeatedly suggests that Hallivis was involved in the fraud.
“As a result of Defendants’ desire to sensationalize the series and increase viewership, Hallivis’ reputation and career have been destroyed, causing him significant personal suffering and loss of income,” the complaint said.
Hallivis declined to be interviewed for “Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scam,” which premiered Oct. 17 on Prime Video. The complaint alleges he is a private figure, which lowers the bar to prove defamation.
The documentary includes an interview with Alex Loftus, a civil attorney, who said Horwitz “couldn’t have done this alone.”
“I believe he’s protecting someone in his inner circle,” Loftus said.
The documentary shows photos of Horwitz and Hallivis together, and includes commentary that Hallivis was “intense” and “tense.”
One interviewee says Hallivis was paranoid and “it seemed like he saw something coming, I guess.”
The lawsuit states that the scene is defamatory “because it implies that Hallivis assisted Horwitz in his criminal activities and as a result was nervous, sad, and paranoid, and he feared that it was only a matter of time before he was caught.”
The series finale also includes a suggestion that Hallivis and his brother, Diego, became informants to help the government’s case against Horwitz, implying that they had to work together to minimize their criminal exposure.
In fact, the complaint states, Hallivis was interviewed once by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and was never told he was suspected of wrongdoing.
The episode also includes a quote from Loftus, who filed suit on behalf of a number of investors: “If Julio spent all day and night with Zach Horwitz for months, I don’t see how he could possibly not know this was a fantasy.”
Loftus also said he had no facts showing Hallivis was a fraudster, but “we have some things that you might assume look pretty bad.”
“These statements suggest that Hallivis was a fraudster, even though Loftus had no conclusive evidence,” the complaint said.
According to the lawsuit, Hallivis has been shunned by former business partners, and even his own brother has told him they cannot work together because of the damage to their reputation.
Hallivis is represented by Alexander Rufus-Isaacs, a lawyer who has filed several lawsuits against Netflix on behalf of people claiming they were defamed in various shows.
