Linda Fairstein sues Netflix and Ava DuVernay for When They See Us' portrayal of her as a “racist, unethical villain"

The Daily Beast

The prosecutor of the so-called Central Park Five, who was portrayed by Felicity Huffman, filed a lawsuit filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, attacking DuVernay's Netflix limited series for the “false and defamatory matter in nearly every scene in the three episodes in which her character appears." “In the film series, which Defendants have marketed and promoted as a true story, Defendants depict Ms. Fairstein—using her true name—as a racist, unethical villain who is determined to jail innocent children of color at any cost,” the lawsuit alleges, noting she was misrepresented in over a dozen scenes. After When They See Us was released, Fairstein was dropped from her publisher and was forced to resign from the board of three charities. UPDATE: Netflix calls Fairstein's lawsuit "frivolous": “Linda Fairstein’s frivolous lawsuit is without merit,” said a Netflix spokesperson. “We intend to vigorously defend When They See Us and Ava DuVernay and Attica Locke, the incredible team behind the series."