Netflix has postponed the release of a documentary about former pop star and convicted sexual abuser Gary Glitter just three weeks before its release, citing “new legal information.” “Hunting Gary Glitter,” a three-part docuseries directed by Sebastian Smith, was due to drop on the streaming platform on Oct. 14 but a rep for the streamer confirmed it has been postponed. He has pleaded not guilty. The media in the U.K. is subject to strict conditions when a trial is pending to avoid prejudicing a jury.
In July, deputy chief Crown prosecutor (similar to a District Attorney) Bethan David announced Glitter had been charged with four non-recent sexual offences, adding in her statement: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds everyone that proceedings are now active, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.” In 2023 Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was briefly released from prison after serving half his sentence before being recalled for breaching his licence conditions. He previously served a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence in Vietnam in 2006 for child molestation.
He was also jailed for four months in 1999 after he admitted to possessing over 4,000 images of child sexual abuse. As well as postponing the doc, which is produced by Voltage TV, Netflix has also pulled the trailer from its YouTube channel. The trailer dropped last week along with announcement of the series’ October launch date.
It opened with a voiceover saying: “Gary Glitter was one of the biggest rock stars in Britain and a serial child abuser.” It then cuts to archival footage of Glitter, who came to fame with the rise of 1970s British glam rock, being asked in a television interview: “It seems to me that when you’re in the public eye, you don’t have secrets anymore.” Glitter replies: “Yeah, well, I’ve still got a few secrets.” The doc’s logline reads: “A string of dogged journalists chases fugitive pop star Gary Glitter across the globe — from Cuba to Cambodia to Vietnam — determined to expose the child sexual abuse he concealed behind decades of chart-topping fame. This documentary follows their pursuit alongside the survivors who speak out, charting Glitter’s 1997 conviction, through to his years on the run, and eventual incarceration.” Netflix’s rep did not confirm when the documentary might eventually be released, although it will likely have to wait until after Glitter’s trial.
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