Freaknik was an Atlanta staple. The event began in 1983 as a community picnic for HCBU students who could not afford to return home for spring break. However, it exploded in the 1990s and earned a reputation as being one of the wildest spring break events in America. It was eventually shut down in 1999 following the intervention of police and local officials.
Hulu has been working on a documentary about the event, specifically about its 1994 iteration, for some time. Lending credence to the film was the involvement of Luke "Uncle Luke" Campbell, who was a staple of the 90s Freaknik festivities. The film was set to be released next year to mark the 30th anniversary of '94 Freaknik. However, Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told may not make it to release due to a new lawsuit.
Freaknik Attendees Object To Documentary
A group of five prominent Black women, including a politician, three "high-level business professionals", and a judge, have reportedly sued Hulu to block the release of the documentary. The plaintiffs argue that the release of the documentary would be damaging to their image. They allege that they appear in archival footage of the 1994 iteration of Freaknik. The 1994 festival, which is the focal point of the documentary, is particularly iconic. Furthermore, the footage would be detrimental to their current endeavors. One of the plaintiffs claims it would show her in an "unflattering light." Furthermore, she claims she has already had to take steps to shield her children from other archival footage. At this time, none of the plaintiffs have been publicly named.
The women, and other women who have spoken about their potential appearance in the 2024 film, have since been dubbed the "Freaknik Aunties". However, does their case stand a chance? The short answer is possibly - their case will revolve around consent regarding the footage used. Despite this valid argument, it's hard to say how a judge will rule if the goes through the legal system. But for now, Hulu has been handed an extra hurdle on their next big documentary. However, Hulu is yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit or the allegations made by the plaintiffs.
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