Netflix has released a new documentary on the late Rob Ford, exposing a whole new audience to the chaos and controversy that defined his time as Toronto’s mayor.
Premiered on June 17,Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem traces Ford’s meteoric political rise — from a loud, long-shot city councillor in the 2010 mayoral race to a surprise landslide victory that shook up City Hall.
Trainwreck is the same Netflix docu-series that made episodes about Woodstock ’99 and Astroworld.
His time in office from 2010 to 2014 remains one of the most infamous chapters in Toronto’s political history. Ford became a global headline in 2013 when he was caught on video smoking crack cocaine, igniting a media firestorm that turned him into a late-night punchline and international spectacle.
Despite the string of scandals, Ford still aimed to seek re-election in 2014. However, a diagnosis of malignant liposarcoma forced him to withdraw. His older brother, current Ontario Premier Doug Ford, stepped in with just 30 days’ notice and narrowly lost to John Tory. Rob Ford instead ran for his old council seat in Ward 2, Etobicoke North — and won.
He died on May 22, 2016, at age 46, 18 months after being diagnose with cancer.
Doug Ford has since slammed Netflix for releasing the documentary, calling the creators “disgusting people.”
“I talked to one person who saw it, and it’s just disgusting,” he said. “Leave the guy alone. Let him rest in peace. Let his family rest in peace,” he said on Tuesday, per the Toronto Star.
“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.”
Rob Ford remains a polarizing figure in Toronto. Some hail him as a hands-on mayor who delivered results, while others see his legacy as one that tarnished the city’s reputation.
With that in mind, here are some of the most WTF moments from the new Netflix documentary.
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The chaos of the 2009 garbage strike
Garbage bags piled up across Toronto during the 2009 garbage strike.
Nataliya Litvinova | Dreamstime
Toronto faced a deeply unpleasant chapter between June 22 and July 30, 2009, when more than 24,000 civic workers went on strike.
Garbage piled up across the city, baking in the summer heat and creating an overwhelming stench. The uncollected waste also turned parts of the city into a breeding ground for raccoons and other pests.
The strike dealt a significant blow to then-Mayor David Miller’s popularity. He ultimately chose not to seek a third term in the 2010 election.
The leadership vacuum opened the door to a crowded field of candidates. Rob Ford capitalized on the moment, running a campaign that resonated with voters frustrated by City Hall. His populist message and on-the-ground appeal helped him win the mayoralty with 47.1% of the vote.
The football drama
While Rob Ford was mayor, he skipped meetings at City Hall to coach a high school football team in Etobicoke.
While serving, Ford was also head coach of the Don Bosco Eagles senior football team. According to a CBC News report, he faced backlash for skipping a key council vote to attend a semi-final game.
In November 2012, an Ontario judge ordered that Ford be removed from office after ruling that Ford violated the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act during a council vote related to his football charity.
He’d already been found violating the City’s code of conduct.
Ford appealed the ruling in January 2013 and won, allowing him to remain in office.
He was fired from his head coach role by the Toronto Catholic District School Board in May 2013.
The Trump comparisons
The documentary frequently compares Rob Ford and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Among those interviewed is Toronto Star senior politics reporter David Rider, who says Ford’s approach to the media predated—and resembles—Trump’s tactics.
“Rob Ford demonizing the media years before Donald Trump did the same thing was extremely effective,” Rider says.
The documentary describes an evening in March 2013, when the Toronto Star reported on its front page that Ford had been asked to leave the Toronto Garrison Ball due to intoxication. Ford then denied this during a heated news conference.
“The Toronto Stargoing after me again and again and again. They’re relentless, that’s fine. I’ll go head-to-head with the Toronto Star anytime,” Ford said. “It’s just lies after lies and lies. I’ve called you pathological liars,” Ford said.
According to Rider, Ford eventually cut off the newspaper entirely.
In June 2015, Ford expressed support for Trump’s presidential campaign.
According to the Toronto Sun, he called Trump “a very good candidate.”
He said: “A lot of the media were taking shots at him and making it out to be a joke, but in the end, it will be them who will be surprised.”
“They can laugh all they want, but Mr. Trump is a very successful man and a very good candidate for president.”
He added: “Very few thought I would win the mayor’s race in 2010, and they were wrong.”
Other comparisons are hard to ignore: both men built a cult of personality, had larger-than-life personas, and attracted fiercely loyal supporters who stood by them through every controversy.
Both also came from wealthy families — Doug Ford Sr. built a successful business empire with Deco Labels and Tags, much like Trump inherited and expanded his family’s real estate fortune.
Ford’s brother, Doug, has since taken a strong stance against Trump-era tariffs, even threatening to cut electricity exports to some U.S. states in response.
The video
The story behind how the Toronto Star uncovered the infamous video of Rob Ford is almost as shocking as the footage itself.
Robyn Doolittle, a Star reporter at the time, shared in the Netflix documentary how, on April 1, 2013, she received a call from a man claiming to have a video of Mayor Ford smoking crack cocaine.
Though it was April Fool’s Day, and she was skeptical, Doolittle pursued the lead. She met the man in a parking lot, then got into another car where a second person showed her the video on the phone — though she wasn’t allowed to hold it herself.
“But when the screen turned on, it was just so obvious that it was Rob Ford smoking out of a glass pipe,” she said.
Ford denied the allegations for months. Then, on October 31, 2013, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair revealed that police had seen the video as part of the Project Traveller investigation.
Ford continued to deny the video until November 5, when he finally admitted to smoking crack cocaine.
What followed was a media frenzy unlike any Toronto had ever seen.
The media mayhem
The Rob Ford scandal wasn’t just a national sensation — it made headlines worldwide.
The documentary captures the media frenzy that followed Ford everywhere he went. Dozens of reporters, camera crews, and paparazzi are seen chasing him down the street, camping outside his house, and tracking his every move.
In one scene, a furious Ford shoves a camera operator off his front lawn. In another, he runs headfirst into a TV camera.
At City Hall, footage shows him physically shouldering a reporter out of the way.
Tom Beyer, Ford’s longtime receptionist and social media manager, recalls relatives in Glasgow watching it unfold from Scotland.
Ford also became a regular punchline for American late-night hosts like Jon Stewart, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, and Jimmy Kimmel.
Despite the global spotlight — and mounting pressure — Ford refused to step down and continued denying the existence of the video.
The Jamaican accent
As media scrutiny intensified, another controversial video of Rob Ford surfaced. This time, it showed him inside a fast-food restaurant, where he spoke in Jamaican patois.
In the clip, he also appeared to mock Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, who had launched an investigation into him.
“Chief Blair. Ja, man. He chase me around for five months, man,” Ford said.
The video sparked renewed outrage. Soon after, Toronto city councillors began taking steps to strip Ford of many of his mayoral powers.
The City Hall chaos
Toronto city councillors didn’t have the authority to remove Rob Ford from office, but they could strip him of his key powers — and they did, transferring most of them to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly.
The documentary features chaotic scenes from the council chambers on the day of the vote, including a moment where Ford pantomimes drunk driving in front of stunned colleagues.
But the most jaw-dropping moment came when Ford charged up a set of steps in the chamber and accidentally barreled into Councillor Pam McConnell, knocking her off balance. Fortunately, he managed to catch her just before she hit the ground.
McConnell later describes being shaken by the incident.
The second video
Mayor Rob Ford attending the Canadian International AutoShow.
Valentino Visentini | Dreamstime
Despite the mounting controversy, Rob Ford launched a bid for re-election in 2014.
In the lead-up to the campaign, journalist Robyn Doolittle — now with The Globe and Mail — published a story on April 30, 2014, revealing images from a second video that appeared to show Ford smoking crack cocaine, pipe in hand.
Just two days later, on May 2, Ford entered a rehabilitation facility for a 30-day treatment program.
He returned to City Hall on June 30, 2014, resuming his duties as mayor.
The famous faces
One of the more unexpected parts of the documentary is the appearance of former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson and WWE legend Hulk Hogan.
During a visit to Toronto, “Iron Mike” recalled that Rob Ford once told him he’d “kick his butt.” The documentary also shows footage of Ford playfully facing off with Hulk Hogan at Fan Expo — and winning.
The mayor of Toronto delivers your subs
Brothers Rob and Doug Ford.
@fordnationdougford | Instagram
At Rob Ford’s funeral on March 30, 2016, his older brother Doug delivered a eulogy that captured how, despite all the controversy, Rob remained a wildly popular political figure who connected deeply with the public.
He recalled how Rob entered a Mr. SUB store and overheard an employee named Gus struggling to find someone to deliver a $32 order. Without hesitation, Rob offered to deliver it himself.
Just imagine making a food order, and the Mayor of Toronto knocks on your door to deliver it. Wild, eh?
Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhemis available to watch on Netflix now.
