Doug Ford said he won't watch Netflix documentary on his brother Rob Ford
As Netflix's new documentary on Rob Ford hit airwaves Tuesday morning, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he won't be one of the people tuning in.
'I'm not going to watch it. They're disgusting people,' he said of Netflix at a Tuesday news conference. 'Poor Rob has been dead for nine years and they just want to keep going after him.'
The Netflix documentary, 'Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem,' chronicles Rob Ford's rise to becoming Toronto's 64th mayor and the scandals that surfaced during his time in office, notably one where he was caught smoking crack cocaine on camera. It's the second of an anthology series exploring events that dominated headlines worldwide, following 'Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy,' which premiered on June 10.
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford says a new Netflix documentary about his late brother Rob Ford is "disgusting." The doc titled 'Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem" chronicles Rob Ford's rise to power as Toronto mayor in 2010 and his chaotic time in office. Speaking at a news conference in Toronto, Doug Ford said he wasn't going to watch the film, and he doesn't see eye-to-eye with the creators. (June 17, 2025 / The Canadian Press)
Rob Ford died of cancer in 2016. He was 46.
Shianne Brown, the film's director, said that the filmmakers contacted Doug Ford for the film, but he didn't want to take part.
Still, the documentary offers an inside look at Rob Ford's rise and fall through voices from many other corners of his life — from former chief of staff Mark Towhey, executive assistant Tom Beyer and special assistant Jerry Agyemang, to journalists like former Star reporter Robyn Doolittle and Star city hall reporter David Rider.
Inside Netflix's new documentary about Rob Ford, Toronto's 'Mayor of Mayhem'
Speaking at Tuesday's news conference, a frustrated Doug Ford pleaded to let his brother's legacy rest.
'I talked to one person who saw it and it's just disgusting. Leave the guy alone. Let him rest in peace. Let his family rest in peace,' he said.
+3 Rob Ford documentary: 'Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem' rehashes Ford's turbulent years in office but also makes you wonder 'What if?'
'They're just disgusting people. It absolutely infuriates me, to be honest with you. They want the truth? Talk to the real people. I absolutely love him, so I'll leave it at that.'
Netflix said it has no comment when asked about Doug Ford's remarks. The Star also reached out to the filmmakers regarding the premier's comments, but haven't received a response.
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Wrapped in controversy during his time as mayor, Rob Ford earned international notoriety when two Star reporters viewed a video — three times — of him smoking crack in 2013 and reports quickly spread. Following months of denying using the substance, he ultimately admitted to using crack in November 2013.
Contributors
Opinion
Edward Keenan: Toronto still lives in the shadow of Rob Ford
At once beloved and condemned, the contentious mayor is still very much with us today.
Contributors
Opinion
Edward Keenan: Toronto still lives in the shadow of Rob Ford
At once beloved and condemned, the contentious mayor is still very much with us today.
However, through making the documentary, Brown said she learned Ford was a 'complex character' who resonated with people by taking a grassroots approach.
In one scene, Rob Ford strolls through an apartment, asking if anyone is having trouble with their unit. In another, at his funeral, Doug Ford recalls the time his brother — while mayor — delivered a sandwich to a Mr. Sub customer after a worker didn't have an available driver. Moments like these, Brown said, show how he connected with voters.
'I feel that we all love the underdog. He was an underdog,' she said. 'He wasn't a part of that David Miller establishment. He was kind of like an outsider to it all.'
She said she hopes the audience comes away from the film with a deeper understanding of who Rob Ford was — with and without the scandals.
'I think Rob represents something in all humans … and (how) nobody's perfect,' she said. 'But the scandals speak for themselves — and it makes things a bit interesting.'
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Toronto Sun
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SNOBELEN: Remembering Rob Ford for his spirit and compassion
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is pictured in Toronto on July 15, 2014. Photo by Darren Calabrese / THE CANADIAN PRESS A good friend of mine is fond of reminding me of the ancient observation that no good deed goes unpunished. Truer words are hard to find. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In a similar vein, it seems a universal truth that acts of kindness and generosity are forgotten immediately, while moments of weakness live forever. This is particularly true for the hardy souls who toil in public life. Shed no crocodile tears for the people who seek the spotlight and then object when the glare reaches their darker secrets. Some things just come with the territory. But there are times when the fascination with the seemlier side of public figures is excessive and cruel. The most cowardly among us enjoy punching down, saving their most vile rants for those who cannot defend themselves. Most of us have witnessed (or endured) the boss who delights in publicly humiliating an underling. They are cowards. The same can be said for the 'enlightened' folks who tear down statues and defile the legacy of our nation's founders. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The cowards always miss the obvious: We are all human and subject to the imperfections that come with humanity. We also have the capacity for humility, kindness and compassion, traits that are absent when the blood of the defenceless causes a churning of the water. Canada is a profoundly decent country. As a nation, we tread more gently on the personal lives of public figures than the media circus experienced in other countries. But the line between the public's need to know and the feeding of our most scandalous instincts is a fine one. That line is surely crossed when the subject is no longer relevant in public life. All of which explains my reluctance to watch the recent Netflix documentary Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem . This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Rob Ford has been dead for a decade. Stirring the ashes of his political and private life at this late date seems pointless. This is particularly true for a documentary that spends little or no time seeking out new information about the man. It is a rehash of headlines from a decade ago as the media chased a man who was running from his demons. The story of addiction is familiar to many Canadian families. Embarrassment is the easy part. The real darkness is constant worry in the face of relentless denial and the depths of depravity caused by what addicts call stinking thinking. Rob Ford went through his addiction in the full glare of the media. While that time was not easy to watch, his office and public responsibility made scrutiny necessary. But is it necessary to revisit the worst of his fall into darkness? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A lot of poets and troubadours have spent time in the darkness. Bonnie Raitt's song Waitin' for You to Blow gives addiction a voice, including the line, 'Recovery is a fickle beast, better stick to what you know, 'cause I'm always ridin' shotgun baby, just waitin' for you to blow.' Rob Ford entered recovery and got clean. But the second act of his public life was cut short by cancer and we will never know how it might have gone. We do know that he had extraordinary compassion for people who are often ignored and his spirit touched many. He was an unlikely politician who engaged people's hearts. I didn't know Rob Ford, but I hope people will be kind with his memory, if only to give Canadian decency a moment to shine. World Toronto & GTA Columnists MMA World
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‘What you're seeing is Mark Carney being frustrated': 580 CFRA's Bill Carroll gives his opinion on latest tariff news
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