A reminder of the controversy of the 13 Reasons Why ‘bathtub scene’ and why Netflix axed it

Every now and then, a meme will go viral on Twitter that recounts the 13 Reasons Why bathtub scene. It will probably be a quote tweet about the show, with someone declaring they were one of the few people who saw the scene before Netflix took it down.

It’s now been eight years since the controversial show was released on Netflix. And still, people talk about that scene like it happened yesterday. That’s probably because, if you were one of the people who watched it, it was horrific.

So, here’s a rundown of what happened.

i was unfortunately a viewer of the original bathtub scene….trauma https://t.co/mHuHil78y5

— jaden💭 (@BEYSCAPIST) March 31, 2025

What was the 13 Reasons Why bathtub scene and why did it get taken down?

At the time, 13 Reasons Why was one of the biggest shows Netflix had ever released. For most of us, it’s probably the first show we watched in full on the streamer. It followed Clay and Hannah. Hannah decided to take her own life, and Clay then found a box on his porch. The box contained tapes from Hannah, detailing the 13 reasons she decided to end her life.

In one horrific scene, dubbed “the bathtub scene” Netflix showed Hannah taking her own life. It was an extremely graphic depiction, that showed her method. It lasted a whole three minutes, and then ended with her body being discovered.

However, two years later, Netflix decided to remove the scene. At the time, Netflix said the decision had been made “on the advice of medical experts”. The inclusion of the scene in the first place caused outrage, with multiple mental health charities speaking out about how dangerous it was. The show was accused of “glamourising” suicide.

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A NIH study recorded a huge 28.9 per cent increase in teen suicide the month after 13 Reasons Why debuted in 2017, the highest increase it’s ever measured. Suicide rates spiked among boys aged 10 to 17 in the same time, too.

A statement from our show creator Brian Yorkey. pic.twitter.com/J6XiD9LVkU

— 13 Reasons Why (@13ReasonsWhy) July 16, 2019

Writing on Twitter, producer Brian Yorkey said the show had originally portrayed the “ugly, painful reality of suicide in such graphic detail [to] make sure no one would ever wish to emulate it”. The statement confirmed Netflix had since “agreed to re-edit it.”

He added: “No one scene is more important than the life of the show, and its message that we must take better care of each other. We believe this edit will help the show do the most good for the most people while mitigating any risk for especially vulnerable young viewers.”

13 Reasons Why is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.