Netflix Sued by Dutch Drug Lord Who Claims ‘Undercover,’ ‘Ferry’ Are Unlawfully Based on His Life

Adrianus van Wesenbeeck says the TV series and films’ depiction of him as a “brutal serial killer” caused him “significant emotional, reputational and financial damage” The post Netflix Sued by Dutch Drug Lord Who Claims ‘Undercover,’ ‘Ferry’ Are Unlawfully Based on His Life appeared first on TheWrap.

May 28, 2025 - 09:10

Netflix Sued by Dutch Drug Lord Who Claims ‘Undercover,’ ‘Ferry’ Are Unlawfully Based on His Life

Netflix is being sued by former Dutch drug baron Adrianus van Wesenbeeck for defamation, copyright infringement, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violation of the right of publicity over their film and TV series “Undercover” and “Ferry,” which he claims are unlawfully based on his life.

A federal lawsuit filed against the streamer in Florida on Tuesday claims that the two dramatic organized crime franchises — made of three “Undercover” seasons and two “Ferry” movies and series — depict characters inspired by him as brutal serial killers and human traffickers — inaccurate depictions that he claims have “inflicted significant emotional, reputational and financial damage.”

Van Wesenbeeck (who is also known by the first name Janus) was never charged with murder or human trafficking, but is notoriously known as a major drug trafficker at an international scale. He was convicted and imprisoned with early release in Belgium in 2011–2015 for drug trafficking, participation in a criminal organization and money laundering.

While the lawsuit admits that Netflix has never explicitly endorsed these projects as loose adaptations of Van Wesenbeeck’s life, the actors portraying these roles have confirmed to the press that they are, and the projects have been widely reported on as such.

Netflix declined TheWrap’s request for comment.

“This deliberate and misleading presentations has caused significant harm by blurring the line between fiction and reality and falsely associating the Plaintiff with the character of Ferry Bouman,” the lawsuit reads of “Ferry.”

The suit also asserts that “Ferry 2” used copyrighted material from Van Wesenbeeck’s book “Drugsbaron” and a promotional song for the film “refers to Mr. Van Wesenbeeck and his late wife, Lydia, in a demeaning and mocking way.”

Van Wesenbeeck is seeking actual damages exceeding $26 million, compensatory damages over $50 million, and punitive damages surpassing $50 million. He also seeks recovery of profits from the “Ferry” franchise and “Undercover” estimated to be over $166 million. In addition, the lawsuit requests injunctive relief, attorneys’ fees, and any other legal remedies available.

The “Ferry” franchise follows the titular Ferry Bouman who, across two films and a series, has been loosely based on Van Wesenbeeck’s life. Not all the stories Bouman encountered in the five years of the franchise were based directly on Van Wesenbeeck’s own experiences. The most recent film, “Ferry 2,” released on Dec. 20 last year.

“Undercover” premiered in 2019, with Season 2 premiering November 2020 and Season 3 in November 2021.

The post Netflix Sued by Dutch Drug Lord Who Claims ‘Undercover,’ ‘Ferry’ Are Unlawfully Based on His Life appeared first on TheWrap.