The ongoing controversy surrounding the Netflix film Cuties will not go away. After the streamer was accused of sexualizing children with promotional materials for the film, the company released it to a massive spike in subscription cancellations. Now, the company has been indicted in a Texas court.
A grand jury in Tyler County served the indictment, charging Netflix with the promotion of lewd visual material depicting children. According to TMZ, the charge alleges that Netflix "promoted the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child younger than 18, appealing to the prurient interest in sex."
A grand jury in Tyler County served the indictment, charging Netflix with the promotion of lewd visual material depicting children. According to TMZ, the charge alleges that Netflix "promoted the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child younger than 18, appealing to the prurient interest in sex."
The charge added that the film offers no artistic value, claiming that it was reckless of Netflix to promote the film. The Tyler County district attorney heading up the case is Lucas Babin, a former actor who appeared as the character of Spider in the 2003 film School of Rock.
Cuties was directed by Maïmouna Doucouré and follows the life of an 11-year-old Senegalese girl who joins a "free-spirited dance crew" in Paris to rebel against her strict family. The dance crew participates in sexually suggestive dance moves, including twerking.
As a Netflix spokesperson told TMZ, "A Netflix spokesperson tells us, "Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. This charge is without merit and we stand by the film."