The Satanic Temple sues Netflix, Warner Brothers for $150 million over Baphomet statue in 'Sabrina'

The Satanic Temple is suing Netflix, alleging unauthorized use of the goat-headed deity Baphomet. The Satanic Temple is suing Netflix, alleging unauthorized use of the goat-headed deity Baphomet. Photo: Netflix Photo: Netflix Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close The Satanic Temple sues Netflix, Warner Brothers for $150 million over Baphomet statue in 'Sabrina' 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

The Satanic Temple, a non-theistic group that advocates for individual freedom, is squaring off against a witch — or rather, against the television production companies behind her.

Last month, Satanic Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves told SFGATE he was "distressed" to hear that a statue design strongly resembling their own statue of the medieval deity Baphomet, appeared in Netflix's "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina."

Initially, after watching portions of the show, Greaves and the Temple's lawyer sent a cease and desist letter to Netflix. After it went unanswered, the group decided to take action; on Thursday, the Temple sued Netflix and Warner Brothers for $50 million for copyright infringement.

The Satanic Temple's statue depicts Baphomet — a winged deity with a goat's head and human's body — seated, with a pentagram on his forehead, flanked by two children looking up at him. As Greaves told CNBC, the design is "a central icon that has come to represent us [Satanists] as a people."

In the Netflix and Warner Brothers' "Sabrina" show, a similar statue appears at the school Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) attends.

"It's distressing on the grounds that you have to worry about that association being made where people will see your monument and not know which preceded the other," he told SFGATE, "and thinking that you arbitrarily decided to go with the Sabrina design for your Baphomet monument, which rather cheapens our central icon."

The Temple's primary concern pertains not just to copyright issues, but also the disconnect between what the Temple's Baphomet represents to its members and what the statue is associated with in the Netflix show. In particular, Greaves took issue with the "evil" practices he feels "Sabrina" tied to the statue image. The filing details that the Temple's statue design was created to promote the group's "First Amendment values of separation of church and state." Netflix's use of the image, they allege, blurs that meaning.

"Defendants' prominent use of this symbol as the central focal point of the school associated with evil, cannibalism and murder blurs and tarnishes the (The Satanic Temple) Baphomet with Children as a mark of (The Satanic Temple)," it reads.

The Temple is seeking $150 million in damages and additional reimbursement of attorney's fees.

Edit: This article originally stated that the Satanic Temple was seeking $50 million in damages. That amount has been corrected to $150 million.

SFGATE has reached out to the Satanic Temple for further comment.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

