Linda Fairstein Sues Netflix, Ava DuVernay over ‘Villainous’ Portrayal

Netflix and director Ava DuVernay are being sued by former prosecutor Linda Fairstein over her portrayal in When They See Us.

The series tells the story of five teenagers who got wrongful rape convictions in 1989 – their case drew national attention in the US and they became known as the Central Park Five.

Linda Fairstein was in charge of sex crimes in Manhattan at the time. But she says the show falsely portrayed her as a “racist, unethical villain”.

The former prosecutor, played by Felicity Huffman, has a big role in the Emmy-winning series. When They See Us shows Linda as the woman in charge of the investigation into the case and appears in three of the four episodes.

Linda Fairstein’s book publishers dropped her after Netflix released When They See Us.

The defamation lawsuit alleges that the writers “deliberately calculated” it so each time character appeared; it made her a “clear and unmistakable villain for viewers to target with hatred and vilification for what happened to The Five”.

After the show dropped on Netflix, Linda Fairstein, a best-selling crime novelist, got the axe from her publisher and agent. Also, the lawsuit claims she also lost public speaking opportunities.

In addition to costing a “significant number” of legal consulting jobs; she claims Netflix has “sullied if not destroyed” her reputation as a prosecutor

Netflix has responded, describing the lawsuit as “frivolous” and “without merit”.

“We intend to vigorously defend When They See Us and Ava DuVernay; Attica Locke, the incredible team behind the series,” it said in a statement.