Riders’ DB C.J. Reavis, three former CFL players suing Netflix for $30M over ‘Last Chance U’ docu-series

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Saskatchewan Roughriders’ strong-side linebacker C.J. Reavis is one of six plaintiffs involved in a $30 million lawsuit against Netflix over their treatment by the popular docu-series ‘Last Chance U’.

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles court this month and first reported by Front Office Sports. It alleges that the players were portrayed in “misleading, offensive, or highly objectionable” ways on the show, which affected their future career prospects in professional football. The plaintiffs also claim they received no financial compensation for their appearances despite the series’ massive commercial success.

Alongside Netflix, the suit also names the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), East Mississippi Community College, and production company Condé Nast as defendants, as well as the series’ director and executive producer. They are alleged to “have been unjustly enriched by intruding upon the private lives of the plaintiffs” and “taking unfair advantage of them through defendants’ superior bargaining power.”

All six plaintiffs attended East Mississippi during the 2015 or 2016 seasons, the first two years portrayed on the show. In addition to Reavis — whose legal name is Cary Sidney Reavis II — three of the other players named have spent time in the CFL: defensive linemen Tim Bonner and Ronald Ollie, as well as quarterback-turned-receiver John Franklin III.

Reavis first joined the Riders in 2022 following unsuccessful NFL stops in Jacksonville and Atlanta. He has appeared in 36 CFL games, recording 148 defensive tackles, 11 special teams tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles, and one interception. The native of Chester, Va. was named All-CFL in 2024.

Bonner spent parts of two seasons with the B.C. Lions and Edmonton Elks, appearing in 23 games. He made 27 defensive tackles, two special teams tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble. Ollie had brief stints with the Toronto Argonauts and Elks but failed to make either team, while Franklin spent training camp with Edmonton in 2024 before being cut.

‘Last Chance U’ ran for five seasons on Netflix and featured three junior college football programs throughout its run — East Missississippi (Seasons 1 and 2), Independence (Season 3 and 4), and Laney (Season 5). It primarily focused on troubled players who had been forced to leave Division 1 programs due to bad behaviour or poor academic performance, as well as the coaches and staff members who were trying to help rehabilitate their careers.

The show finished its football run in 2020 but continued with two seasons of a basketball spin-off focused on East Los Angeles College. The final episodes were released in 2022.