Producer Sues Over Documentary Misrepresentation

A Hollywood producer has claimed that a true-crime documentary, which explores a major pyramid scheme in the entertainment industry, has misrepresented him as an accomplice to a con artist, severely impacting his career and costing him money on film projects.

Julio Halivis, director of films like “Curvature” and “Trespassers,” has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, Vice Studios, and Rebecca Chaiklin, the producer behind “Tiger King.” His complaint focuses on the three-part series titled “Hollywood Hustlers: Glitz, Glamor, Fraud,” which details convicted fraudster Zach Horwitz’s $650 million scheme.

Halivis alleges that the documentary wrongly portrays him as being involved with Horwitz and suggests that he was aware of the fraudulent activities, despite not being connected to them.

According to the lawsuit, the backlash from the series has already harmed his career. He notes that a prominent actor pulled out of a project he was working on following the documentary’s release.

The documentary details how Horwitz was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2022, after being implicated in what prosecutors describe as the largest pyramid scheme in Hollywood history.

Horwitz deceived numerous investors through his company, 1inMM Capital, by falsely asserting that he had acquired international film distribution rights, which he claimed were subsequently licensed to major streaming services like Netflix and HBO.

In reality, authorities allege that Horwitz misused investor funds to pay off earlier investors, purchase a $5.7 million home, charter private jets, and maintain a lavish lifestyle.

In court documents, Halivis contends that the documentary creates the false narrative of his involvement through selective editing and comments from people related to the case. One significant point mentioned in the lawsuit concerns a photo of him with Horwitz at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, during Horwitz’s peak in Hollywood.

An individual featured in the documentary claims that not everyone associated with Horwitz attended the glamorous event, noting that it’s possible to simply rent a hotel room and wear a tuxedo to create the illusion of being present.

Halivis argues that by displaying this photo, the documentary misleadingly connects him to those claims, implying he was also pretending to be involved in the ceremony. He further asserts that he was legitimately attending an HBO event in connection with the Golden Globes.

Producers of the documentary are also challenged on remarks made by attorney Alex Loftus, who represented investors defrauded by Horwitz. Loftus is quoted asserting that if Halivis had indeed spent extensive time with Horwitz, he should have recognized the deception.

Halivis maintains that this statement wrongfully insinuates that he participated in the fraud, which he claims is defamatory.

He is seeking compensatory, punitive, and constructive damages, as well as the removal of the allegedly defamatory content. Attempts to get comments from representatives of Chaiklin, Amazon, and Vice Studios have gone unanswered.

Despite the ongoing lawsuit, “Hollywood Hustlers: Glitz, Glamor, and Deception” remains available for streaming on Amazon.