Netflix doc “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” beats injunction, now streaming
NetflixA controversial new Netflix documentary entitled In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal has seen off an injunction trying to stop its release, and is now streaming on Netflix.
A new Netflix documentary dropped on the streaming service today, but if one of its subjects had his way, the show wouldn’t be available.
In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal is described by Netflix as a “true crime docu-series exploring the disturbing stories behind four Korean religious leaders and their followers.”
Netflix and Korean public broadcaster MBC defeated a court application for an injunction to stop the airing of their documentary on yesterday (March 2, 2023), meaning that the series went live today (March 3, 2023).
Who tried to stop the release of In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal?
Jeong Myeong-seok tried to stop the release of In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal, on Netflix.
The documentary investigates the Christian Gospel Mission, which is also known as the Jesus Morning Star, or JMS. Those are the same initials as Jeong Myeong-seok, who is also known as Jung Myung-seok.
Jeong Myeong-seok is currently awaiting trial for sexual assault charges in Korea. He has denied those charges, and has threatened legal action against any outlet that reports unverified facts.
Why was the injunction thrown out of court?
According to Variety, “JMS sought an injunction to stop the docuseries from airing, claiming that the show is fictional, that it violates the principle of presumption of innocence and that it undermines religious freedom.”
However, the outlet also reports that “the Seoul Western District Court said on Thursday that MBC and Netflix appeared to have made the program based on a ‘considerable amount’ of objective and subjective materials.”
The court apparently added: “It is hard to judge that a major part of the program involving JMS is not true, simply based on the materials submitted by the group.”
When and where can you watch In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal?
In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal is currently streaming on Netflix worldwide.
Jo Seong-hyeon directs, and the show consists of eight episodes, ranging in length from 39-minutes to 70-minutes.
The trailer states that the show is about “leaders pretending to be god, and the stories of the ones they betrayed.”
Read about more true (and untrue) stories here…
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