Last Chance USubjects Claim They Weren’t Paid and Were ‘Taken Unfair Advantage of’ by Netflix Series in Lawsuit

Mar. 15, 2025

East Mississippi Lions featured on ‘Last Chance U.'.Photo:Netflix

Netflix

The show’s subjects — John Franklin III, Cary Sidney Reavis II, Deandre Johnson, Tim Bonner, Ronald Ollie and Isaiah Wright — are seeking $30 million in damages from the defendants listedin the complaintfiled in the Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County.

“Despite Plaintiffs’ integral roles inLast Chance Uthat catapulted it into a huge success and high-grossing project, Plaintiffs received no compensation for their contributions,” the complaint from the six men — who played at East Mississippi Community College during the 2015 and 2016 seasons — alleged.

PEOPLE has reached out to Netflix, who distributed the show, for comment.

The ‘East Mississippi Lions’ featured on ‘Last Chance U.'.Netflix

The show, which premiered on July 29, 2016, ended up being a success, according to the complaint. The college football players claimed that Netflix as well as the the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), which is the governing association for junior college athletics in the U.S., generated “substantial revenue” from its production.

In the complaint, they noted that in particular, the NJCAA generated over $200k in revenue one year after their show premiered, compared to $29k prior to the series’ premiere.

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Along with claims of no compensation, the athletes alleged in the suit that they were portrayed in a “misleading, offensive, or highly objectionable” manner over the first two seasons of the show. The complaint further said that companies that created and distributed the show “recklessly gave publicity to false information” about Wright, Ollie and Franklin, which “destroyed career opportunities.”

The complaint also claimed that they were presented the contracts in the middle of practice and “pestered” to sign it, further alleging that “at no point” were they “given the opportunity” to “consult with attorneys” or “read the contracts” in their entirety. They also alleged that the companies used “coercive tactics” including telling them that they wouldn’t be able to practice until they signed.

“Plaintiffs were misled and unaware of the potential commercial value the footage had. However, defendants were aware of the high probability the documentary would turn into a highly profitable production,” the complaint read.

Last Chance Uran for five seasons on Netflix from 2016- 2020. According to the streaming website, the show follows “elite athletes with difficult pasts” who turned to “junior college football for a last shot at turning their lives around and achieving their dreams.”

source: people.com