A team representing WeWork cofounder Adam Neumann claims that the streamer has changed some words in an episode of Generation Hustle, which was aired on HBO Max. The episode mapped the rise and fall of the startup.
Thomas A. Clare, a defamation lawyer representing the tequila lover and reported immortal, announced in a press release that HBO Max had changed parts of Generation Hustle's episode titled Cult of WeWork. Also, the description of the HBO Max episode was altered.
According to Wayback Machine archived version, the show description stated that it mixed true-crime capers and fresh, glossy stories about charismatic fakes, colorful imposters. Since then, both the series' description as true crime and its subject matter have been removed.
The end cards of the episode were also updated by the service, which stated that Neumann was being investigated but that no criminal or regulatory charges had been filed. Although the language used in the cards, the show description and descriptions have been updated by HBO Max, a spokesperson told The Verge that the episode had not been altered. The changes were reported by Deadline earlier.
These responsible actions... will hopefully end the mischaracterizations about Adams's role in creating a transformative business.
This was a good move by HBO. They promptly retracted the false implications regarding Adam and the history and development of WeWork. Clare Neumanns attorney said that the network did the right thing and that they were responsible for the steps taken. We hope that these responsible actions by a respected outlet will end the mischaracterizations of Adams' role in creating a transformative business.
A spokesperson for HBO Max told The Verge Clares mistakenly conflated the changes with HBO Max rather than HBO Max. The company did not have any further comments to make on Wednesday.
The Verge asked Neumanns team why they had made the edits nearly six months after April's premiere. A spokesperson said that the edits were made in the last few hours.
