After Netflix announced that a new documentary about the early years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is set to debut in March, the band has come out with a strong statement claiming the streaming giant is misleading the public.
On Friday, several media outlets reported that Netflix would soon release "The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers," a documentary chronicling the band's early ascent and the impact of its original guitarist, Hillel Slovak—a Jewish Israeli-American who died of a heroin overdose in 1988.
Directed by Ben Feldman, the film is said to feature interviews and archival material from band members Anthony Kiedis and Flea.
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Josh Klinghoffer and Anthony Kiedis at a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert
(Photo: Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)
"At its heart, this is a deeply relatable story — about the friendships that shape our identities and the lasting power of the bonds forged in adolescence,” Feldman said in a statement. “What’s less relatable, of course, is that here those friends went on to create one of the greatest rock bands in history. I’m profoundly grateful to the band and to Hillel’s family for their trust and generosity, and to Netflix for helping bring this story to the world stage.”
Following the announcement, the Red Hot Chili Peppers released a public statement distancing themselves from the project:
“About a year ago, we were asked to give interviews for a documentary about Hillel Slovak. He was a founding member of the band, a brilliant guitarist, and a dear friend. We agreed to participate out of love and respect for Hillel and his memory.
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Red Hot Chili Peppers with Hillel Slovak (second from left)
(Photo: Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)
"However, this film is now being marketed as a Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary—which it simply is not. We had no creative involvement in the project. We have not yet made a documentary about the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The current Netflix production focuses on Hillel Slovak, and we hope it inspires people to explore his work.”
With albums and iconic tracks like "Californication," "Under the Bridge," "Can’t Stop," "Snow," "Otherside," and "Scar Tissue," the Red Hot Chili Peppers are widely regarded as one of the most successful and beloved rock bands of all time. The group formed in the 1980s after founding members Anthony Kiedis, Michael “Flea” Balzary, Jack Irons, and Hillel Slovak met in high school in Los Angeles.
Slovak, who died in 1988 at age 26 from an accidental heroin overdose, was born in 1962 in Acre, Israel, to Holocaust survivor parents. At age six, his family immigrated to the United States—first to New York, then New Jersey, and finally to Los Angeles.
“Life was economically difficult in Israel and I couldn’t find work, so we decided to leave,” his mother once told ynet in an interview.
Though Slovak dreamed of playing and succeeding with the band, he died just before the Red Hot Chili Peppers reached global fame. His death nearly led to the group’s dissolution, but ultimately guitarist John Frusciante joined the band and took his place.