Red Hot Chili Peppers claim they had ‘nothing to do’ creatively with new Netflix documentary about the band

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Okay, so this is really upsetting, but apparently the guys in Red Hot Chili Peppers aren’t thrilled with this Netflix documentary that’s coming out. Like, they’ve basically said they don’t really support it, which is just…weird. I’ve been a fan forever, and I was SO excited for this doc, but now I’m a little worried about what’s in it if the band themselves are trying to distance themselves from it. It’s just…not what I expected, honestly.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante – said on Monday they weren’t involved in the creative process of something recently released.

A new documentary about the Red Hot Chili Peppers was announced on Friday. It focuses on the band’s beginnings in Los Angeles and the story of their original guitarist, Hillel Slovak, who tragically died in 1988 from a heroin overdose.

While the film will include interviews with Kiedis and Flea, the band clarified on Instagram that it isn’t a traditional documentary about the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The statement began by addressing fans, explaining that about a year prior, they participated in a documentary about Hillel Slovak. He was one of the original members of the band, as well as a talented guitarist and a close friend.

We participated in the interviews because we cared deeply for Hillel and wanted to honor his life. We’re concerned, though, that the film is now being promoted as if it’s about the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which isn’t accurate.

We weren’t involved in the creative process, and we haven’t made a documentary about Red Hot Chili Peppers yet, according to a recent statement.

This Netflix special focuses on Hillel Slovak, and we hope it will encourage people to learn more about him and his music.

The documentary was directed by Ben Feldman.

According to Variety, he described the project as a story people can easily connect with, focusing on how friendships define who we are and the enduring strength of connections made during teenage years.

Slovak’s older brother James is an executive producer of the documentary.

A new documentary about the Red Hot Chili Peppers, called The Rise Of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, will be available on Netflix starting March 20th. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

The band originally featured Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Jack Irons, and the late Slovak. Since Slovak’s death and Irons leaving, the lineup has changed several times.

The band started in the late 1970s when guitarist Hillel Slovak, who was in high school at the time, formed a group called Chain Reaction. This band would later change its name to Anthym and then What Is This?

The band grew to include Flea, who learned to play bass from Alain Johannes, and future lead singer Kiedis.

By the end of 1982, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Slovak, and Irons had played a gig together under the name Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. Soon after, within a year, they secured a record contract as the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Slovak left the band before they released their first album in 1984, but rejoined for their next two albums, Freaky Styley and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. Sadly, he died in 1988 from a heroin overdose.

For over forty years, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been one of the world’s most popular bands, selling more than 120 million albums with iconic songs like “Californication” and “Scar Tissue.”

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2026-02-03 05:33