Red Hot Chili Peppers Distance Themselves From Upcoming Netflix Documentary
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have publicly distanced themselves from an upcoming Netflix documentary centered on the band’s early history, clarifying that they were not creatively involved in the project and do not consider it an official film about the group.
Earlier on Friday, Jan. 30, reports surfaced about The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a documentary directed by Ben Feldman and slated to premiere on Netflix on March 20. According to initial coverage by Variety, the film explores the band’s formative years and the legacy of original guitarist Hillel Slovak, who died in 1988 from an accidental heroin overdose. Feldman said the project included participation from band members Anthony Kiedis and Flea.
“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. He added that the film chronicles how those early relationships eventually led to the creation of “one of the greatest rock bands in history.” Shortly after the announcement, however, the band released a statement clarifying its position and distancing itself from how the documentary is being marketed.
“About a year ago, we were asked to be interviewed for a documentary about Hillel Slovak,” the band wrote in a message shared on social media. “He was a founding member of the group, a great guitarist, and a friend. We agreed to be interviewed out of love and respect for Hillel and his memory.”
The band went on to emphasize that the project should not be framed as an official Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary. “This documentary is now being advertised as a Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary, which it is not,” the statement continued. “We had nothing to do with it creatively. We have yet to make a Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary. The central subject of this current Netflix special is Hillel Slovak, and we hope it sparks interest in his work.”
Slovak was a core member of the band’s original lineup, which also included Kiedis, Flea, and drummer Jack Irons. His death in 1988 marked a turning point for the group, both personally and professionally. Irons exited the band shortly afterward, citing the emotional toll of losing his close friend, and the Chili Peppers would go on to evolve through multiple lineup changes before achieving global success in the 1990s.
The band’s statement underscores a distinction they appear intent on maintaining between projects that honor Slovak’s legacy and any future, officially sanctioned documentary chronicling the full history of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
