This Netflix VP Confessed to Ketamine Therapy at a Company ‘Trust’ Retreat. He Was Fired a Few Months Later.

Kevin Baillie is suing Netflix for wrongful termination, disability discrimination and lost severance.

By Jonathan Small | edited by Dan Bova | Aug 04, 2026
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Kevin Baillie was VP, Head of Creative/Head of Studio at Eyeline Studios, Netflix’s visual effects division, when he showed up to a company retreat in January 2026. The retreat included a “Vulnerability-Trust exercise” meant to encourage team building. Baillie shared that he’d been doing ketamine therapy for clinical depression after his mother died.

Two months later, he was out of a job. Netflix’s own attorney admitted the therapy had “factored into the termination,” according to a . The company’s investigation also dug up profanity and drinking, including a moment where Baillie did a headstand while chugging a Guinness.

But Baillie’s suit says Netflix’s own culture practically encouraged that kind of behavior. He claims Eyeline CEO Jeff Shapiro kept a personal bar in his office and once handed out beer to staff on a car ride to an awards show.

Baillie is now suing for wrongful termination, disability discrimination and lost severance, and wants a jury trial. Netflix and Eyeline haven’t responded publicly.

Kevin Baillie was VP, Head of Creative/Head of Studio at Eyeline Studios, Netflix’s visual effects division, when he showed up to a company retreat in January 2026. The retreat included a “Vulnerability-Trust exercise” meant to encourage team building. Baillie shared that he’d been doing ketamine therapy for clinical depression after his mother died.

Two months later, he was out of a job. Netflix’s own attorney admitted the therapy had “factored into the termination,” according to a . The company’s investigation also dug up profanity and drinking, including a moment where Baillie did a headstand while chugging a Guinness.

But Baillie’s suit says Netflix’s own culture practically encouraged that kind of behavior. He claims Eyeline CEO Jeff Shapiro kept a personal bar in his office and once handed out beer to staff on a car ride to an awards show.

Baillie is now suing for wrongful termination, disability discrimination and lost severance, and wants a jury trial. Netflix and Eyeline haven’t responded publicly.

Jonathan Small • Founder, Strike Fire Productions

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Jonathan Small is a bestselling author, journalist, producer, and podcast host. For 25 years, he... Read more
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