Netflix Edits Hannah’s Controversial Suicide Scene From ’13 Reasons Why’
Netflix has edited the graphic 13 Reasons Why suicide scene more than two years after the show first premiered.
Ever since the series first debuted in 2017, it's been met with controversy due to the three-min long scene that sees Hannah Baker cutting her wrists in a bathtub. Many criticized Netflix's decision to depict teenage suicide so graphically, but there were also studies that showed an increase in teen suicide after 13 Reasons Why aired.
Now, in a statement posted to Twitter on Tuesday (July 15), the streaming giant explained why they decided to completely remove the controversial scene from the show's Season 1 finale.
"We’ve heard from many young people that 13 Reasons Why encouraged them to start conversations about difficult issues like depression and suicide and get help—often for the first time. As we prepare to launch season three later this summer, we’ve been mindful about the ongoing debate around the show," Netflix wrote.
“So on the advice of medical experts, including Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, we’ve decided with creator Brian Yorkey and the producers to edit the scene in which Hannah takes her own life from season one," they continued.
"No one scene is more important than the life of the show, and its message that we must take better care of each other. We believe this edit will help the show do the most good for the most people while mitigating any risk for especially vulnerable young viewers," creator Brian Yorkey added.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new scene, which has already been updated, will no longer see Katherine Langford's character taking her own life. Instead, it will cut directly to her parents' reaction to her death.
Sources also told the website "the decision has nothing to do with the content included in the upcoming third season, which will not feature another scene depicting a suicide."
The third season of 13 Reasons Why is set to be released later this year.