Netflix VP Sues After Firing Tied to Ketamine Therapy Disclosure

evin Baillie, former VP and Head of Creative/Head of Studio at Eyeline Studios, Netflix’s visual effects division, is suing the company for wrongful termination, disability discrimination, and lost severance. The dispute traces back to a January 2026 company retreat, where a team-building “Vulnerability-Trust exercise” prompted Baillie to disclose that he had been undergoing ketamine therapy for clinical depression following his mother’s death.

Termination Followed Disclosure by Two Months

Within two months of sharing that information, Baillie was let go. According to the lawsuit, a Netflix attorney acknowledged that the therapy disclosure played a role in the decision to terminate him. The company reportedly cited a subsequent internal investigation that surfaced instances of profanity and drinking, including an incident in which Baillie did a headstand while drinking a Guinness.

Lawsuit Points to Company Culture

Baillie’s suit argues that this behavior wasn’t out of step with Eyeline’s workplace culture — and may even have been encouraged by leadership. He alleges that Eyeline CEO Jeff Shapiro kept alcohol in his office and, on one occasion, distributed beer to employees during a car ride to an awards ceremony. The suggestion is that similar conduct was tolerated, or even normalized, among executives, raising questions about whether Baillie was singled out because of his mental health disclosure rather than any workplace misconduct.

Baillie is seeking damages through a jury trial. As of this report, neither Netflix nor Eyeline Studios has issued a public response to the allegations. The case adds to a broader conversation about how companies handle employee mental health disclosures, particularly when they’re shared in settings explicitly designed to encourage openness and vulnerability among staff.