Top 10 Documentaries That Ruined People's Lives

Carole Baskin

Eccentric former zookeeper Joe Exotic claims that the hit Netflix docuseries “Tiger King” ruined his life. That's saying a lot considering he was already in prison when the show premiered. It may be less debatable to argue that the documentary instead damaged the reputation of his archnemesis Carole Baskin. "Tiger King" seemingly painted the animal rights activist as Exotic's even match in ego, if not animal mistreatment. The docuseries was also criticized for overexposing the theory that Baskin had a hand in her ex-husband Don Lewis’ disappearance. This particularly inspired devastating harassment online. Though her raised profile has also promoted her activism, Baskin feels betrayed by Netflix’s depiction, and that too many people have made up their minds on the mystery of Lewis’ fate.

Burke Ramsey

The unsolved murder of child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey has been followed by scandal ever since 1996. As if the loss and media circus weren't traumatizing enough, the Ramsey family has long dealt with theories that they were the culprits. All three members were eventually cleared by DNA evidence in 2008. Nonetheless, the 2016 miniseries "The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey" still argued that the victim's older brother Burke was responsible. Burke promptly filed a defamation suit against CBS and some of the show’s participants. Following an out-of-court settlement, the older Ramsey returned to a private life. Still, with many maintaining that JonBenét was killed by Burke, he has undoubtedly found his reputation tarnished by the claims of this docuseries.

Billy Mitchell

Seth Gordon's documentary on the feud for "Donkey Kong" conquest won high scores with audiences. Of course, the public attention it revived for record-holder Billy Mitchell backfired. “The King of Kong” was among the sources investigated by specialists to conclude that Mitchell's scoring track record was partially attained with emulation software. This provided an undue advantage - allowing anyone to play outside of arcade machines. Mitchell’s records were removed from databases, and the gaming community ostracized him. In a defamation suit against his accusers, he even claimed that his doctor refused to treat his stress-related health issues. Although some of his records have since been reinstated, “The King of Kong” helped bring down the gamer royalty Mitchell built an entrepreneurial brand on.

Ken Kratz

As district attorney for Calumet County, Wisconsin, Ken Kratz landed the famous murder convictions of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey in 2007. Controversy that these may have been wrongful convictions eventually went global with the release of the Netflix docuseries "Making a Murderer". Kratz's glory was short-lived anyway, as a harassment scandal had cost him his office in 2010. But after the documentary's examination of possible judicial impropriety, Kratz faced death threats and a barrage of negative Yelp reviews. He has since lost his law license. Kratz continues to grant public interviews and has been working on a book to dispute the show's supposedly flimsy evidence. The court of public opinion has nonetheless not been kind to him.

Former Church of Scientology Members

Alex Gibney's documentary on the mysterious Church of Scientology was praised by general audiences, but received a very different reaction from Scientologists. Gibney has expressed remorse that many people who worked on "Going Clear" subsequently suffered retaliation from Church officials. Former members whose interviews exposed the Church's history and controversial practices got it the worst. Filmmaker Paul Haggis, journalist Tony Ortega and others reported being surveilled. A private investigator also confessed to being hired to hack into several email accounts. These all seemed to be consistent with the disturbing stories exposed throughout the documentary. For all the importance of "Going Clear" in religious debate, its effects extended far beyond the current Scientology congregation.

Caveh Zahedi

Arguably the most daring project from meta filmmaker Caveh Zahedi was "The Show About the Show", in which each episode documented the making of the previous episode. Released online and on Brooklyn cable access, the niche program turned out to be more dramatic than anyone expected. The intrusive and candid production imploded Zahedi's already rocky marriage, plus a subsequent romance. He claims that his whole personal life has been destroyed by its own documentation. “The Show About the Show” wound up being a reality show that truly lives up to the genre's name. Zahedi does not regret the project, however. In fact, he’s trying to keep it going totally independently. Although, he'll be the first to admit that it upended his whole world.

Troy Duffy

Despite the very limited release of "The Boondock Saints", writer-director Troy Duffy became a cult sensation. Fans got to go behind the scenes with his filmmaking and music breakout in the documentary “Overnight”. This showcased Duffy as an undeniable talent, but whose contentious behavior eventually led to his downfall. His antagonism towards his veteran producers ultimately led to Miramax dropping his movie, and Harvey Weinstein having him blacklisted. Sure, “Overnight” is a record of Duffy destroying his own life. But he claims that the documentary showed his inexcusable behavior out of context. It certainly cost him the potential salvation of public sympathy. Duffy has since made only one other movie: “The Boondock Saints II”.

Michael Peterson & His Family

The French docuseries "Soupçons", better known as "The Staircase", was groundbreaking in its intimate coverage of an infamous trial. That of American novelist Michael Peterson, for the murder of his wife Kathleen. After the show was released, its massive success destroyed any hope of privacy for the grieving family. Peterson’s conviction was later overturned and he eventually accepted an Alford plea for a lesser charge. This allowed him to maintain his innocence over the crime. Netflix then released an update of "The Staircase" in 2018, inviting social media hostility on the Petersons. This was further addressed in the 2022 documentary “Subject”. Whatever the truth about Kathleen Peterson's death, "The Staircase" succeeded in turning a family tragedy into a public inquiry.

Ahmed Hassan

Following the deposition of corrupt President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Egypt endured years of political and civil unrest. Jehane Noujaim's "The Square" explored this gruesome period through the perspective of its own cinematographer, Ahmed Hassan. The filmmaker and democracy activist knew the risks in becoming a public figure of resistance. While the Egyptian Crisis ended in 2014, Hassan wasn’t around for this. Instead, he had been exiled from Egypt, fearing retaliation from the authoritarian regime. He also had limited contact with his family out of concern for their safety. "The Square" may have won Hassan an Emmy for his cinematography, but the project seemingly left him worse off, as he was driven from his homeland.

Robert Durst

In 1982, real estate heir Robert Durst was investigated for the murder of his wife Kathleen McCormack. He was eventually brought to trial in 2003 for another murder, amidst rumors of a third. Durst refused to do interviews after his acquittal, but was so impressed by “All Good Things”, a movie based on his bizarre story, that he agreed to sit down with filmmaker Andrew Jarecki. The docuseries “The Jinx” ended with Durst, forgetting that he was still mic’d-up, seemingly admitting to all three murders. This may have just been in jest, but Durst was still charged with one of the killings. He was finally convicted in 2021. While true crime documentaries may be accused of consequential biases, it’s hard to argue with Durst’s self-incrimination.