One of the most talked about series on Netflix, When They See Us, is making headlines again. Former prosecutor Linda Fairstein is suing Netflix and director Ava DuVernay over how she was portrayed in the series.
When they see Us tells the story of five teenage black boys who were wrongly convicted of rape in 1989 - also known as the Central Park Five. Linda Fairstein was in charge of the investigation and without evidence, made it her business to convicted innocent boys of a crime they did not commit.
She says the show falsely portrayed her as a "racist, unethical villain" and the defamation lawsuit alleges that each time the character appears her portrayal was "deliberately calculated" to create a "clear and unmistakable villain to be targeted for hatred and vilification for what happened to The Five".
She claims her reputation has been destroyed and has also loss a number of career opportunities including speaking appearances and legal consulting jobs. She was also dropped by her publisher and agent.