Netflix to Remove Controversial Suicide Scene From '13 Reasons Why '

The scene was scheduled to be removed by Netflix on Tuesday, one of the people familiar with the matter said. The show is produced by

            Viacom
Inc.

'S Paramount Television unit, which was on board with the decision to remove the scene, a person close to the show said. Netflix declined to comment.

"13 Reasons Why" has been praised by critics, but criticized by health advocates and some media watchdogs, who fear it glorifies suicide. The show, which premiered in March 2017, is set to start its third season later this year.

This year, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests that "13 Reasons Why" was a factor in a teen suicide. The study found that the suicide rate among people 10 to 17 went up by nearly a third in April 2017, the month after the show launched on Netflix. Some school officials issued warnings and guidance to parents about the show.

At the time of the study, a Netflix spokesman said, "It's a critically important topic, and we've worked hard to ensure that we handle this sensitive issue responsibly."

At the company's 2018 annual meeting, Chief Executive Reed Hastings was asked about whether it was controversial, but he said, "It is controversial but nobody has to watch it."

Inside Netflix, however, there has been growing discussion about whether the show could put you at risk. After the first season, Netflix added a graphic-content warning and included information for a suicide prevention hotline.

Altering a scene in a television show is rare, especially when the episode in question is available for more than two years. Some episodes of TV shows have been pulled from the marketplace because of newly arisen sensitivities, most recently this year when the producers of "The Simpsons" removed an episode that featured the singer Michael Jackson.

Write to Joe Flint at [email protected]