A 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 “Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scam.”
The 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’s crimes.
Horwitz 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.
Hallivis 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.
The 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.
