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An actor has sued Netflix over COVID-19 work conditions relating to a Stranger Things event in 2020.
Timothy Hearl was performing as a Demogorgon from the hit series as part of the live event Stranger Things: The Drive Into Experience, which opened last October in Los Angeles.
The drive-in show, created alongside Secret Cinema, allowed fans to roam the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the setting for the sci-fi show. Performers are on hand to create scenes from the show.
A new report from The Hollywood Reporter says that, after portraying a Demogorgon for a time, Hearl was then given another role as a character wearing a hazmat suit.
The new lawsuit says that Hearl shared his worry about the risk of contracting COVID-19 from indoor rehearsals for the show, before filing a complaint with the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration which, he says, eventually led to his contract for the event being terminated.
In response, a source from the production said that there have been zero positive coronavirus cases from any of the actors who appeared in the show.
A rep for Empyrean, who produced the show alongside Netflix and Secret Cinema, said in a statement: “The safety of fans and our team members has remained the highest priority since the inception of the Stranger Things Drive Into Experience.
“There are robust measures in place to protect the health and well-being of everyone on site, and we’re proud that these protocols have resulted in an excellent safety record.”
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