What is Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. about?

Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. is an upcoming Netflix documentary series produced by Library Films in association with Eastern Road Films. The four-episode docuseries will release globally on Netflix March 16, 2022. Chris Smith directs and executive produces.

Smith is best known for his executive producing the successful Netflix docuseries Tiger King. He also directed Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. His latest wild documentary series centers on Sarma Melngailis, a celebrity restaurateur behind New York hotspot Pure Food and Wine.

Once considered the “vegan queen of cuisine,” Melngailis is nowadays better known as the “Vegan Bernie Madoff” or the “Vegan Fugitive.” How did her fall from grace happen? It all started when she met con man Shane Fox a.k.a. Anthony Strangis (Editor’s note: We’ll refer to “Shane” by his real name from here on out.) on Twitter in 2011.

What is Bad Vegan Netflix about?

From promising to significantly expand her vegan food empire to claiming he could make her beloved pitbull immortal, Anthony had Melngailis believing he could make her wildest dreams come true—so long as she obeyed his increasingly strange requests without question. Melngailis fell under Anthony’s charms hook, line and sinker, funneling money to him for several years.

Later, the pair married and stole over $2 million from Melngailis’ restaurant and its staff. The couple wound up on the run, hiding in a Tennessee hotel. After Anthony mistakenly purchased a pizza using his real name, law enforcement eventually tracked them down. Bad Vegan promises to take viewers on a journey “more bizarre than fiction.”

Bad Vegan Netflix release date

All four episodes of the upcoming documentary series will be available to stream at once on Wednesday, March 16.

Bad Vegan Netflix trailer

Check out the trailer for Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. below:

Here is the official synopsis for the Netflix true crime docuseries:

"After marrying a mysterious man who claimed he could make her dog immortal, a celebrated vegan restaurateur finds her life veering off the rails."

Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. will release on Netflix on March 16.

Make sure to stay tuned to Netflix Life for more information and updates on upcoming true crime programs and documentaries.