Another McAfee Associate Accuses Showtime of Coercion for Documentary

Gringo, a documentary by Showtime producers on the life of John MacAfee, airs this Saturday on the US network. But before that happens controversy is already raging. Producers Nannette Burstein and Jeff Wise set out to follow the trail behind murder allegations against anti-virus mogul for the documentary. But on Thursday, four of John McAfee’s ex-associates came forward, in the presence of their attorney Bryan Neal, to say that they were paid by the Showtime producers, Nannette Burstein and Jeff Wise to lie about the anti-virus tycoon. Tyrone Moralez, Zaira Majil, Saka Canul and Cassian Chavarria admitted they were paid thousands of dollars by the producers to make false statements about the life of McAfee. Their attorney Neal is attempting to stop the airing. He has written the international network requesting that they “refrain from sharing any images attributable” to his clients or they will be held liable for damages or injury to his clients’ reputations. When contacted the network’s Vice President and Public Relations for Showtime Entertainment, Nichole Elice, responded saying they didn’t pay for any interviews. Attorney Neal fired back revealing that there is a fifth person from Belize City who has now come forward to say he was also paid and we’ll come to that. But in an interview with Neal and his clients on Wednesday, the media asked the foursome: why come forward now after they had signed the release documents? And are they being paid to make statements recanting what they had said to the Showtime producers?

Zaira Majil, Ex-girlfriend of John McAfee

“No. I came here to tell the truth and only the truth. Nobody paid me to do this. We came together; we spoke as a group and we came together to do this.”

Zaira Majil

Reporter

“You knew these guys before?”

Zaira Majil

“Yes.”

Bryan Neal, Attorney

“Certainly, I have seen no threat from Mister McAfee to my clients. They seem, as far as I am aware, came here on their own free will and they told me what was their experience with the Showtime crew. And I felt that it was unfair that they were taken advantage of and we are trying to get them not to public what these people said. They can go ahead and publish the documentary; we can’t stop them. But as far as these people are saying, don’t put my image on your document and I think that is fair.”

Zaira Majil

Duane Moody

“Sir, but they signed a document releasing those videos. What kind of leverage do they have given the fact that they have already done that?”

Bryan Neal

“Well you’ve heard them say…there is a defense in law called non est factum where if you do not understand that document that you are signing is a complete defense and that is if it goes as far as we think because let me say that given the posture of Showtime, I believe that the documentary will be aired. But we are saying that you can’t just give people documents to sign and not give them an opportunity to take it to an attorney, to review it for themselves, hold it overnight. The circumstances which they have recounted to the media to say how they signed the document, I think in law, give any opportunity to any attorney to say, my client neva know weh ih sign and I think that is fair game in this case.”