Two California men are asking Netflix to discontinue "13 Reasons Why" after two young girls in their families committed suicide. The men claim the controversial show about teen suicide influenced the girls' actions.
This is just the latest controversy surrounding the show – a series that many have complained about this year for its focus on suicide.
Some are questioning whether the warning notices that show up in the opening credits do enough to protect vulnerable viewers after John Herndon's 15-year-old daughter, Bella, and Peter Chiu's 15-year-old niece, Priscilla, committed suicide in April, according to CBS News.
"Every day I look at Belle's picture, and I give her a kiss, and I say 'I miss you, baby,'" Herndon told CBS News.
"My Bella did suffer from depression," Herndon said, but he had no idea that it would lead to this.
Both girls had just finished watching the entire first season of "13 Reasons Why" at the time of their deaths.
"I started reading about the signs a little too late," Chiu told CBS News about his niece.
Neither Herndon nor Chiu knew that the girls had watched the series until after they had committed suicide.
"So Netflix is showing children how to commit suicide," Chiu said after seeing the show for himself.
"They provide a blueprint for that action. I agree with Peter. That is totally irresponsible," Herndon said.
Despite Herndon and Chiu's complaints, clinical psychologist David Swanson doesn't put the blame on the Netflix show for the suicides young people have committed since the series first aired.
"Anxiety, depression and huge life stressors are the triggers for suicide," Swanson told CBS News.
This comes after Katherine Langford, the actor who plays lead character Hannah Baker on the show, defended a suicide scene that came under heavy scrutiny earlier this year after the airing of the first season finale, according to Digital Spy.
That particular episode featured a scene showing Hannah kill herself on camera.
Langford defended the controversial scene, citing that it was meant to be a tough scene for viewers to watch.
"When we did the table reads, it felt like the right choice," she told Deadline. "I don't think there was ever a moment where we didn't want to show Hannah's suicide, because that wouldn't have been staying true to the vision of the show."
"I felt like it would have sugarcoated the severity of the issue," Langford added.
Langford said she consulted with "health professionals" before the scene was shot.
"Going into acting that, I obviously had some considerations a few weeks leading up to it because it's such an important moment," she said. "I consulted with [showrunner Brian Yorkey], and I talked to healthcare professionals."
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