Matt Zane has issued a new press release confirming he has been served with a cease and desist order regarding his planned unauthorized documentary centered on the final years of Static-X frontman Wayne Static and his wife, Tera Wray.
Zane — best known as the frontman of Society 1 and for his work in the adult entertainment industry — had professional ties to both Static and Wray prior to their respective deaths in 2014 and 2016. Despite that history, the proposed film has drawn firm opposition from the families of both individuals, who have stated they are prepared to pursue legal action should the project continue.
Last week, Zane launched a crowdfunding campaign for the documentary, asserting that his motivation stemmed from personal conversations with the late couple rather than any involvement from their estates. At the time, he stated:
“I understand the family’s concerns, especially Wayne’s sister Aimee who is a wonderful person, but my obligation isn’t to the families — it’s to Wayne and Tera. They asked me to do this, and I know they would want the focus to be on the two of them.”
Zane also revealed that the project could potentially include six unreleased songs he worked on with Wayne Static in 2013, featuring Static’s vocals and songwriting ideas. He suggested those recordings could be repurposed using AI technology, a claim that further fueled skepticism, particularly given that any official clearance would require estate approval.
On December 14th, Zane shared a statement on social media confirming that a formal cease and desist had now been issued. The statement reads:
“The estate and family of late STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static have issued a cease and desist letter to filmmaker Matt Zane, following their recent public statement in which they ‘strenuously object’ to Zane’s announcement of an unauthorized documentary focusing on Wayne Static and his wife, Tera Wray.
The legal notice arrived just days after the family made clear they were prepared to take action to halt any unapproved production. In a statement, the families said, ‘We are not interested in the further development of any unauthorized biography or documentary…’”
Despite the legal warning, Zane publicly stated he intends to continue pursuing the project, saying:
“This won’t stop me. I’m ready and willing to take this as far as it goes. If it ends up in court, so be it. This movie will be made and released if it’s the last thing that I do.”
Zane has also questioned why his project has drawn legal scrutiny when other unofficial content related to Wayne Static exists online, stating:
“If you go to YouTube right now you’ll see multiple unauthorized documentaries about Wayne Static with hundreds of thousands of views. None of them were threatened with legal action. I’m the only one served with a cease and desist letter — and I haven’t even started production yet. Why am I being singled out?”
In a further attempt to contextualize his motivations, Zane referenced a past email exchange he claims to have had with Wayne Static:
“I’ve always felt people are too dumb to understand what’s really going on around us. It seems like you share that feeling.”
As of now, the situation remains unresolved. Whether the dispute is settled privately or escalates to court, Zane maintains that the documentary will move forward — setting up a potentially prolonged and highly publicized clash between a filmmaker and the estates of two late artists.
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