Netflix wants its money back. Five years after wiring $11 million to director Carl Erik Rinsch for a sci-fi series that never got made, the streamer is asking for a return on those funds. Rinsch, 47, was arrested last week on charges of fraud and money laundering for allegedly using the cash for lavish purchases, speculative investments and legal fees to sue Netflix.
He is out on a $100,000 bond and due to be arraigned in federal court in New York on April 3. Later in April, Rinsch is due back in civil court in Los Angeles for a debtor’s examination by Netflix’s lawyers. The company has obtained an $11.
8 million judgment and is attempting to locate assets it may be able to seize. In previous divorce proceedings, Rinsch has said that he is broke. Rinsch owes $420,000 in spousal support to his wife, Gabriela, according to a recent filing from her attorneys.
In January 2024, Rinsch told the court is suffering “severe financial distress.” “Over the past four years, in lieu of a salary, I have been forced to use company funds for living expenses,” he wrote. He said that his company’s revenue had dwindled to nothing, and that he had to liquidate assets and borrow $150,000 from his family to stay afloat.
“My monthly income is zero,” he wrote. “I have been forced to focus all my efforts on being a ‘professional litigant.'” Rinsch, who is from Los Angeles, was once an up-and-coming commercial director with backing from two powerful mentors.
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