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

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Why This Matters

This case highlights ongoing issues around workplace transparency and the treatment of employees undergoing mental health treatments like ketamine therapy. It raises important questions about how companies handle disclosures related to mental health and the potential for discrimination, impacting both corporate policies and employee rights in the tech industry. The incident underscores the need for clearer guidelines and supportive environments for mental health in the workplace.

Key Takeaways

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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 lawsuit reported by the California Post. 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.