Key Takeaways
- Napolitano sues Netflix over misrepresentation in The Manhattan Alien Abduction documentary after failed attempts to prevent it from airing.
- The lawsuit claims defamation, fraud, breach of good faith, and misrepresentation of character.
- Despite Napolitano’s claims, Netflix’s documentary appears balanced, giving her a fair platform.
The Manhattan Alien Abduction has caused a stir ever since it landed on Netflix last month. The three-part documentary features interviews with Linda Napolitano, who insists that she was abducted by aliens back in 1989. The series was incredibly balanced, but Napolitano wasn’t happy with the way she was represented in the series, and has sued Netflix, and tried to prevent them from airing it.
Despite her attempts, Napolitano was unable to stop The Manhattan Alien Abduction from landing on Netflix on October 30, but the lawsuit is still moving ahead. The case is based on a number of different factors, including fraud and misrepresentation of character. In addition to Napolitano’s case against Netflix, a former colleague of the late ufologist, Budd Hopkins, has also filed a lawsuit against Netflix, which has been backed up by Hopkins’ estate.
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Linda Napolitano’s Lawsuit Against Netflix, Explained
Linda Napolitano has sued Netflix as well as other production companies linked to the series, and Carol Rainey, who was ufologist, Budd Hopkins’ ex-wife. The case was filed just two days before The Manhattan Alien Abduction was due to be released on the platform. Napolitano was given an advanced preview of the three-part documentary, and she was unhappy with how she’d been represented. It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened to Netflix, with Vince McMahon’s reaction to the Mr McMahon documentary being a perfect example of this. Just because the subject of a documentary isn’t happy with how they’ve been represented, it doesn’t necessarily justify legal action. Napolitano’s attempts to get the documentary halted were unsuccessful, so this is a sign that the legal case probably doesn’t have any merit either.
The Different Claims In The Lawsuit Against Netflix
- Defamation – Napolitano claims that her public image and credibility have been negatively impacted by the Netflix documentary. She basically thinks she was portrayed in a way that frames her as the villain.
- Fraud – After viewing the finished piece, Napolitano was very unhappy with it. She claims she was told she’d get the opportunity to have a discussion with Carol Rainey, but this never materialized. She also claims her story wasn’t accurately told.
- Breach Of Good Faith – Napolitano felt like Netflix’s documentary was deceiving.
- Misrepresentation of Character – This is an interesting one, as Napolitano claims Netflix portrayed a non-existent issue between her and Carol Rainey.
Linda Napolitano’s lawsuit documents state:
Napolitano was not remotely close to be like or appear as the person that is on-screen. Never had any bone to pick with Carol Rainey but was set up as such a villain for purposes of controversy and conflict, all of which was a patently and deliberately false portrayal to support the false narrative of the truth.
Netflix’s The Manhattan Alien Abduction Was Balanced So Linda Napolitano’s Lawsuit Has An Uphill Struggle To Succeed
Linda Napolitano’s claims that she was misrepresented in The Manhattan Alien Abduction don’t appear to hold much weight, as Netflix’s true story gave her the opportunity to put across her point of view, while also investigating the other side. There was also a feeling that the audience were given ample opportunity to make their own minds up based on what they saw over the course of three episodes. A lesser documentary would have completely shot down Napolitano’s claims that she was abducted, but Netflix gave her a platform to discuss them, as ridiculous as they were. Napolitano’s interviews don’t appear to be manipulated by convenient editing or anything untoward like that. This is her story, and she was able to tell it as she saw it. Whether the audience believes her claims is a completely different matter.
An obvious theory as to why Napolitano might have brought the lawsuit against Netflix could be heavily linked to, wait for it: money. Upon seeing the potential for this documentary to go viral, like most Netflix documentaries do, Napolitano possibly saw an opportunity to cash in on the whole thing. Similarly to when she made sure her initial ‘abduction’ story made its way to multiple journalists and talk shows back in the late 80s and throughout the 90s. It’s a fanciful story that she’s been peddling for over 30 years, and she’s been making money from it, so why stop the gravy train now? There’s no such thing as bad publicity, and this lawsuit will keep her in the public eye, and keep her story alive. As for Napolitano’s claim in her lawsuit that Netflix created a non-existent feud between her and Carol Rainey in the documentary, it’s important to note down her spoken words towards the end of the last episode:
She is a b****. She used my case and me and my family as a tool to get even with Budd.
Just like Napolitano’s alien abduction claims, the audience can make their own minds up on whether there was any feud between the two women.
Watch The Manhattan Alien Abduction On Netflix Now
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