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Almost a year ago, Netflix delivered the riveting limited series “When They See Us” which brought to the forefront the story of the now Exonerated 5. Directed by the defining Ava DuVernay,, the project incited an upheaval of awareness and outrage of the injustices faced by innocent children back in 1989.
With the success of the series, a microscope was placed on many of the real-life characters who played a part in the unrightfully convictions of five innocent children, one of those people being former prosecutor Linda Fairstein. Linda has now come forward with a lawsuit claiming she was defamed by the Netflix series about the case that her former office oversaw.
According to Variety, Fairstein is not only suing Netflix but the director Ava DuVernay and co-writer Attica Locke as well, claiming that she was “wrongfully portrayed as a racist mastermind behind the wrongful prosecution of five black and brown men.”
While Netflix says they will vigorously defend” the suit, the suit alleges the series’ script portrayed Fairstein as masking statements she never said and taking actions that she did not take.
Director DuVernary or co-writer Locke have yet to release a statement on the new suit.
