{"id":1368,"date":"2026-06-04T22:09:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T22:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1368"},"modified":"2026-06-04T22:09:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T22:09:38","slug":"amazon-vice-studios-hit-with-defamation-suit-over-hollywood-hustler-documentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1368","title":{"rendered":"Amazon, Vice Studios Hit With Defamation Suit Over \u2018Hollywood Hustler\u2019 Documentary"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\n\tA producer sued Amazon Studios, Vice Studios and director Rebecca Chaiklin on Thursday, alleging that he was falsely portrayed as an accomplice of convicted fraudster Zach Horwitz in the recent documentary series \u201cHollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1366\">\u2018The Daily Show\u2019 Goes to New Orleans as Jordan Klepper Celebrates America 250 With a Drunk Pirate (EXCLUSIVE)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe producer, Julio Hallivis, contends that his reputation has been ruined by the false implication that he acted as an informant and was complicit in Horwitz\u2019s crimes.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tHorwitz is serving a 20-year sentence over what federal prosecutors described as a $650 million Ponzi scheme. He pleaded guilty to allegations that he forged contracts with Netflix and HBO to dupe some 250 investors.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tHallivis was his business partner in 1inMM Productions, which produced a few films. According to the lawsuit, Hallivis was not involved in financing and knew nothing about the Ponzi scheme until Horwitz was arrested.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe lawsuit alleges that the three-episode docuseries, which was presented by Amazon MGM Studios and produced by Library Films, Vice Studios and Article 19 Films, repeatedly suggests that Hallivis was involved in the fraud.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cAs a result of defendants\u2019 desire to sensationalize the series and boost viewer numbers, Hallivis\u2019 reputation and career have been destroyed, causing him great personal suffering and loss of earnings,\u201d the suit states.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tHallivis declined to be interviewed for \u201cHollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scam,\u201d which premiered Oct. 17 on Prime Video. The complaint argues that he is a private figure, which sets a lower bar to prove defamation.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe documentary includes an interview with Alex Loftus, a civil attorney, who was quoted saying that Horwitz \u201ccouldn\u2019t do this alone.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cI believe that he\u2019s protecting someone in his inner circle,\u201d Loftus said.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe documentary shows photos of Horwitz and Hallivis together, and includes commentary that Hallivis was \u201cintense,\u201d and \u201con edge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\tAn interviewee is quoted as saying that Hallivis was paranoid and \u201cjust seemed like he saw something coming, I think, down the pipe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1364\">\u201960 Minutes\u2019 Boss Vows to \u2018Pursue Stories Without Fear or Favor,\u2019 While CBS Waits for Word of Whether Remaining Correspondents Will Stay<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe lawsuit states that the scene is defamatory \u201cbecause it implies that Hallivis was assisting Horwitz in his criminal activities and as a result, he was nervous, sad, and paranoid, and he feared that it was only a matter of time before he was going to be caught.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe final episode also includes a suggestion that Hallivis and his brother, Diego, became informants to help the government\u2019s case against Horwitz, implying that they needed to cooperate to minimize their criminal exposure.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tIn fact, the complaint states, Hallivis was interviewed a single time by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and was never told that he was suspected of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe episode also includes a quote from Loftus, who filed suit on behalf of some of the investors: \u201cIf Julio was spending all day and all night with Zach Horwitz for months at a time I don\u2019t see how he would possibly not know that this was a fantasy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\tLoftus also said that he did not have facts to show that Hallivis was a fraudster, but \u201cwe have some things you could assume that look pretty bad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cThese statements suggest that Hallivis was a fraudster, even if Loftus had no conclusive proof,\u201d the complaint states.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tAccording to the suit, Hallivis has been shunned by former business associates, and even his own brother has told him that they cannot work together due to the reputational damage.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tHallivis is represented by Alexander Rufus-Isaacs, an attorney who has filed several suits against Netflix on behalf of people who alleged they were defamed in various shows.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1363\">\u2018Power: Legacy\u2019 Starring Joseph Sikora, Michael Rainey Jr. Greenlit at Starz<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amazon Studios was sued by Julio Hallivis, a producer who alleges he was falsely portrayed as an accomplice of fraudster Zach Horwitz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[1312,1313,1314,1315],"class_list":["post-1368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tv","tag-amazon-studios","tag-hollywood-hustler","tag-julio-hallivis","tag-zack-horwitz"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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