Former Netflix VP Kevin Baillie says he was fired in April after disclosing medically supervised ketamine treatment for depression during a January company retreat. The lawsuit alleges an internal investigation treated the therapy as potential recreational drug use and that Netflix withheld up to a year of severance. Baillie is seeking a jury trial and damages, and the complaint cites Netflix’s culture memo and "keeper test" in describing how candid workplace disclosures are evaluated.
Ex-Netflix VP Says Disclosing Medically Supervised Ketamine Treatment Cost Him $1.1M Job, Lawsuit Alleges
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Former Netflix executive Kevin Baillie has filed a lawsuit alleging he was terminated from Eyeline Studios in April after disclosing medically supervised ketamine therapy for depression during a company vulnerability exercise, according to court papers reported by The New York Post.
Baillie served as vice president and head of creative for Netflix’s visual effects division and earned roughly $1.1 million annually. The complaint says Netflix also withheld up to a year of severance pay following his dismissal, which Baillie contends was tied in part to a January disclosure at a retreat held at Sendero Ranch in Northern California.
Former Netflix executive Kevin Baillie alleged he was fired in part for disclosing medically supervised ketamine treatment during a workplace trust exercise.
The suit states that Baillie revealed he had undergone ketamine treatment at a Santa Barbara clinic in 2022 while coping with clinical depression after his mother's death, and that the treatment was prescribed and administered under medical supervision. When an internal Netflix investigator questioned Baillie on March 18, the complaint alleges the investigator framed the therapy as possible recreational drug use rather than acknowledging its medical context.
The company’s inquiry also examined separate allegations that Baillie used profanity and consumed alcohol. A prior performance review reportedly addressed his language but did not require him to stop swearing entirely; the review reportedly recommended:
Baillie sued Netflix after his April termination from Eyeline Studios, where he served as vice president and head of creative.
Drop one or two less f-bombs but don't stop entirely.
At the same retreat, Baillie says he described a party trick—drinking a Guinness while standing on his head—learned from his former father-in-law. A colleague asked him to demonstrate, and he did so during the vulnerability session, the complaint says.
Company Culture And The Lawsuit
The complaint cites Netflix's internal culture memo promoting candor and vulnerability and describing the company as operating like a professional sports team rather than a family. Managers reportedly apply a "keeper test"—assessing whether they would fight to keep an employee or rehire them knowing everything they now know—while also stating employees should receive regular feedback and be evaluated on their full record.
Baillie said he disclosed the treatment for depression during a January employee retreat at Netflix-owned Sendero Ranch in Northern California.
Baillie is seeking a jury trial and is pursuing lost wages, compensatory and punitive damages, and compensation for emotional distress. His visual-effects credits include work on major franchises such as "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Harry Potter."
Context On Ketamine Treatment
Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance in the United States. It is federally approved as an anesthetic and is also prescribed off-label by some clinicians to treat depression. The Food and Drug Administration has separately approved a ketamine-derived nasal spray, Spravato, for treatment-resistant depression under medical supervision.
As of Monday, Netflix had not publicly responded to Baillie’s allegations. Fox News Digital reported it reached out to both Baillie and Netflix for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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