Looks like Netflix is facing its own ‘Suits’ episode—except they’re the ones getting sued. What started as a gritty, behind-the-scenes look at JUCO football’s raw intensity is now tangled in a web of legal battles, with claims of exploitation and misrepresentation flying from all sides. Remember how “Last Chance U” pulled back the curtain on the brutal reality of JUCO football, where athletes fought tooth and nail for a shot at Division I? Well, those athletes are now saying they got played, claiming they were given the short end of the stick—no pay, no say, and a villain edit that trashed their reputations while Netflix and EMCC raked in the cash. And now, a JUCO coach is throwing a $30 million lawsuit into the mix.

Netflix is taking another hit with a lawsuit over “Last Chance U,” and this time, it’s Jason Brown, the JUCO legend, firing the shots. The former coach of Independence CC is seeking a whopping $30 million in damages, joining six former EMCC players who have already slapped Netflix with similar lawsuits. The players allege they were pressured to sign away their publicity rights or face being kicked off the team. Brown is also pissed about how Netflix portrayed his story, claiming they painted him as the bad guy.

MLFootball confirmed the news on X, stating, “Former ‘Last Chance U’ legendary football coach Jason Brown is suing Netflix for 30 million dollars. The players are also alleging they were misled into signing away their publicity rights under threat of being kicked off the team—suing for $30M.” This is turning into a full-blown legal blitz, and Coach Brown ain’t backing down.

The whole drama kicked off in June 2017 when Brown agreed to join the series, lured by promises of positive publicity. He claims a Netflix exec even told him, “Colleges will be calling you after this airs.” Instead, Brown says Netflix “cut, pasted, edited, and distorted” footage “to depict him as a volatile, abusive tyrant for their financial gain.” He alleges that they manufactured a villain narrative, and that was his breaking point.

But Brown also wants to address the elephant in the room—his infamous February 2019 text to a student containing a Hitler reference, which led to a massive fallout. He claims Netflix “dramatized” the situation. Following the episode’s airing, NCAA and XFL teams pulled coaching offers totaling $600,000. In an interview with TMZ Sports, he said, “I’ve never sued anybody in my life,” before hinting at a potential lawsuit.

“But at this point in life where I see someone getting taken advantage of like this, I won’t [join their lawsuit,] but I will get involved on my own side. And that’s something to stay tuned to because my legal team’s looking into it.” He’s now making good on that, seeking $10 million for lost income, another $10 million for damage to his reputation, $5 million for emotional distress, and an additional $5 million in punitive damages.

This legal battle is just the latest headache for Netflix, as Brown is not the only “Last Chance U” figure taking legal action. Previously, Ronald Ollie, John Franklin III, Cary Sidney Reavis II, DeAndre Johnson, Tim Bonner, and Isaiah Wright filed a lawsuit in February, making similar claims of exploitation and misrepresentation.

They argue that they were pressured into signing away their rights and were portrayed in a negative light for entertainment purposes. Netflix is now facing a multi-front legal attack, questioning the ethics and practices behind their popular documentary series.

Jason Brown joining hands with 6 former EMCC player

Netflix’s “Last Chance U” has taken an unexpected turn, evolving into its own legal drama. The lawsuit targets Netflix, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), Conde Nast, and EMCC itself. The legal claim asserts that the series exploited players’ NIL without providing any compensation, profiting financially from their personal struggles at their expense.

Former EMCC players from the 2015 and 2016 seasons claim they were “duped” into giving up their publicity rights before NIL deals existed. Expecting an honest portrayal, they now argue the show manipulated their narratives for dramatic effect. “Plaintiffs were misled and unaware of the potential commercial value the footage had,” the lawsuit states. “However, defendants were aware of the high probability the documentary would turn into a highly profitable production.”

John Franklin III, one of the plaintiffs, knows firsthand how “Last Chance U” shaped public perception. A former quarterback who started at Florida State before transferring to EMCC and later playing at Auburn, Florida Atlantic, and briefly in the NFL, Franklin took an interest in the legality of the show’s use of his and his teammates’ likenesses. He collaborated with lawyer Andrew Green, and soon, others joined the cause. Ronald Ollie and Isaiah Wright—two of the most recognizable faces from the show—also became part of the legal battle. They claim the show cast them as “villains” for dramatic effect, with the lawsuit stating, “Defendants damaged the players’ reputations to boost viewership.”

Meanwhile, the lawsuit also details that East Mississippi Community College apparently raked in the dough from boosted merchandise sales and national exposure, while the production company behind “Last Chance U” inked some seriously sweet deals with Netflix. And the athletes? They got squat—not a single dime, and no say whatsoever in how they were shown. Even worse, they’re saying their portrayals weren’t just unfair, but straight-up “misleading, offensive, or highly objectionable.”

At the time, NCAA and NJCAA regulations prohibited players from earning money from their NIL—a restriction that changed with the 2021 NIL ruling. But this case raises a larger question: should past norms still dictate fairness in today’s evolving NIL landscape?