Family of teen who committed '13 Reasons Why' copycat suicide urges Neflix to cancel show
ALABASTER, Ala. — "I'm sorry, this had to happen...I love you," read the suicide letter found in an Alabaster family's bathroom on April 18, 2017.
One year after a 14-year-old middle school cheerleader took her life, her parents are speaking out about her death. Joseph and Patrice Bright say they never saw it coming, and they believe a Netflix series about teen suicide is to blame.
The Brights tell ABC 33/40, they hope they can prevent other families from going through the same thing.
The Brights will remember April 18th as the day their lives were forever changed.
"We came home. I told him to go in and change clothes and get ready for baseball practice, and I went to walk the dog," said Joseph.
Following his father directions, then 10-year-old Samuel went to change, but first wanted to give his sister a fidget spinner he had just bought for her. He checked her room and called for her, but she never answered. He finally saw that the bathroom light was on, and he banged on the door, hoping she would finally give in and answer him.
"I opened the door and then I screamed, and I ran out the door," said Samuel.
There he found Anna. Detectives later discovered Anna's death was staged similarly to one in the Netflix controversial series "13 Reasons Why."
In the series Hannah Baker made 13 video cassettes to the people that hurt her. Anna wrote letters to the people who loved her.
"It definitely has an impact on teenage girls all across the world that think this is the way out because it's popular," said Patrice.
Patrice and Joseph Bright say since their daughter's death, they have been working to have season one removed from Netflix and to put an end to season two.
"It does have a mature warning, but that's not enough to stop anybody from going on there to watch it," said Patrice.
The Bright's campaign to end the Netflix series includes a petition to remove the series. So far it has received more that 50,000 signatures. Netflix added warnings to the series last year after backlash. It has not announced a release date for season two but it is expected to come out sometime this year. To sign the petition click on this link.
