Former Netflix executive Kevin Baillie, who earned an annual salary of approximately $1.1 million as Vice President and Head of Creative at Eyeline Studios, is suing the company for wrongful termination. Baillie alleges he was fired in April after disclosing during a "vulnerability-trust exercise" at a January 2026 company retreat at Netflix-owned Sendero Ranch in Northern California that he had undergone medically supervised ketamine therapy for depression in 2022 following his mother's death. The lawsuit claims Netflix launched an investigation into his comments, and a company attorney later confirmed that the "ketamine therapy issue" was a factor in his termination, framing the treatment as potential recreational drug use.
The lawsuit also details allegations of a workplace culture that encouraged alcohol consumption at company events. Baillie claims that Jeff Shapiro, CEO of Eyeline Studios, allegedly purchased alcohol for employees to drink during commutes to company events and maintained a personal bar in his office where he served alcohol to Baillie. During the same retreat, Baillie was encouraged by colleagues to perform a Guinness-related party trick, which he did. His previous performance review had addressed his use of profanity, stating, "Drop one or two less f-bombs but don’t stop entirely."
Baillie is seeking a jury trial, lost wages, compensatory and punitive damages, and damages for emotional distress. Experts suggest that such incidents, where employees are encouraged to be vulnerable and then face consequences, can severely damage trust within an organization. Netflix's public culture memo promotes vulnerability and candor, but this incident raises questions about the practical application of these values when personal disclosures are made.
