10 TV series based on real events and surrounded by controversy

BarcelonaA true story can be a juicy starting point for a television series, but also an endless source of headaches. Inevitably, if the protagonists of the story the fiction tells are still alive, they may feel they haven't been well represented or understood by the creators. In some cases, this can even lead to legal action. A recent example of the discomfort a series based on real events can generate is... Love storyBut there are many other examples.

One of the most-watched series on Disney+ worldwide right now is Love storyThe series tells the tragic love story of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, who died in a plane crash along with her sister. Produced by Ryan Murphy, the series explores their romance and its ups and downs due to intense media and family pressure. When Kennedy met Bessette, he was already America's most eligible bachelor and had previously been romantically linked to several well-known figures, most notably actress Daryl Hannah. A few days ago, the protagonist of Splash She harshly criticized the production, asserting that the image portrayed of her is a complete lie. "I have never pressured anyone into marriage. I have never desecrated any family memorial or trespassed on anyone's private memorial. I have never leaked any stories to the press. I have never compared the death of Jacqueline Onassis to that of a dog. It is terrible to have to defend myself against a television series," explains the sixty-five-year-old actress in an essay in the New York Times

Jack Schlossberg, nephew of John F. Kennedy Jr., has also criticized the series. The New York congressional candidate, who was six years old when his uncle died, claims the series is a complete fabrication and that no member of the creative team has ever spoken with the family. "For those of you wondering if his family was ever consulted or had anything to do with the series, the answer is no," Schlossberg wrote. Murphy responded to the criticism with a devastating barb: "I found it rather curious to get angry about a relative you don't actually remember." The comment, obviously, did not sit well with Kennedy's nephew. Although the series is clearly inspired by real events, a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode warns that it is a work of fiction.

The murder of the Barcelona Municipal Police is surely one of the most notorious crimes in Catalan history, and its adaptation to the screen has not been without controversy. Its main protagonist, Rosa Peral, did everything in her power to sabotage the series: from demanding to review it before its premiere, to calling for its withdrawal and sue Netflix for 30 million euros for violating her image and that of her daughterNone of these processes were resolved favorably for Peral, who in The body in flames It is performed by Úrsula Corberó.

The series NarcosNetflix's series turned drug lord Pablo Escobar into a pop culture icon. While viewers were captivated by the Colombian's biography, his son didn't mince words when criticizing the show. In a Facebook post, Sebastián Marroquín (formerly Juan Pablo Escobar, son of drug lord Juan Pablo Escobar) listed 28 lies he claimed were present in the second season. Despite the series' portrayal of Escobar as a faithful representation, Narcos It was controversial because some sectors claimed that it only perpetuated stereotypes about Colombia.

Pamela Anderson She was a true icon of the nineties, but this celebrity came with the price of a certain amount of ridicule. For years the actress has made an effort to distance herself from a superficial image, and that's why she wasn't at all pleased when Disney+ made Pam & TommyA miniseries that recalled the leak of an intimate video featuring her and her then-husband, Tommy Lee. From the moment the project was announced, Anderson made her disapproval clear, even though the creators argued that the series aimed to rehabilitate the former Baywatch star's image. The actress is still smarting from the experience, and when she was seated at the same table as the series' producer, actor Seth Rogen, at this year's Golden Globes, she complained publicly. "I felt bad. Eventually, hopefully, he'll reach out to apologize, though it doesn't matter. When you're a public figure, it seems like you don't have a right to privacy. But your darkest, deepest secrets or tragedies shouldn't be easy targets for a TV show. This bothered me a little," the actress said just after the ceremony.

Based on Patrick Radden Keefe's non-fiction book, Disney+ brought to the screen the true story of the disappearance of Jean McConville, a mother of three, during the darkest years of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Two of the people connected to the case were sisters Dolours and Marian Price, members of the IRA, portrayed in the series by Lola Petticrew and Hazel Doupe. Dolours Price died in 2013, but her sister Marian is still alive and has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the series. In July 2025, she filed a defamation lawsuit in Dublin courts against Disney and the series' production company, arguing that she was wrongly portrayed as responsible for McConville's execution. In her lawsuit seeking damages, Price demanded that the platform remove the scene in which the fictional Marian murders the kidnapped woman.

This is not the only controversy the series has faced. The series also features Gerry Adams, the historic leader of Sinn Féin, who is portrayed as the head of the IRA, an accusation he has always denied. To cover his tracks, a disclaimer appears at the end of each episode stating that Adams has always denied being a member of the IRA or participating in any of its violent actions.

Richard Gadd rose to television fame following the miniseries My stuffed reindeerIn the documentary, she explained her story as a victim of harassment. Although she didn't use any real identity, a woman named Fiona Harvey claimed that she was the person Gadd used as inspiration for the stalker character and, for this reason, decided to sue Netflix for $170 million ($120 million in damages and $50 million in profit sharing). She argues that the platform did nothing to verify whether the series' portrayal of her, presented as a true story, was accurate. Furthermore, she maintains that, even though the show doesn't use her name, it's easy to see that the character of Martha is based on her. A U.S. federal judge set the start date for the trial for May 6, 2025, in the Central District Court of California, but the proceedings were halted by an appeal filed by Netflix.

Another Netflix series that has faced legal trouble is the dramatization of the story of five Black men wrongfully accused of raping a white woman. Former Manhattan District Attorney Linda Fairstein sued the platform, arguing that the series portrayed her as "a racist and unethical villain" and attributed to her actions and viewpoints that were not her own. Fairstein succeeded in getting the platform to add a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode clarifying that, while the story is inspired by real events and people, some elements are fictional for dramatic purposes. The plaintiff did not receive monetary compensation from Netflix, which instead agreed to donate one million dollars to the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization that works to exonerate people who have been wrongfully convicted.

The gender of true crime It is one of the most likely to generate controversy, because very often the relatives of the victims do not look favorably upon the recreation of the murders of their loved ones. Dahmercreated by Ryan Murphy, also behind Love storyThis is a good example of this type of case. The series, one of the ten most-watched in Netflix history, provoked adverse reactions among the families of the killer's victims and other viewers, who felt it glorified a murderer. One of the series' main detractors is Rita Isbell, sister of Errol Lindsey, one of Dahmer's victims. In 1992, Isbell testified at Dahmer's trial and gave a highly emotional speech that was recreated in the series without contacting her at the time. Eric Wynn, a friend of several of Dahmer's victims, whom he met at Club 219, where he performed shows such as..., also spoke out against the series. drag queen.

Who is Anna?The series by Shonda Rhimes explains how Anna Delvey, also known as Anna Sorokin, a socialite Of uncertain origins, she was able to swindle New York's high society. Although the person who should be most upset with the series is Delvey—spoiler alert: she isn't, but rather used the show for publicity—it was one of her victims who sued Netflix. Rachel DeLoache Williams, a friend of Delvey's and later one of her victims, filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix for its portrayal of her. Among other things, she claimed that on sixteen occasions she was falsely depicted as "snobbish," "unethical," and "greedy." The series explains that Williams abandoned Delvey in Morocco and reported her to the authorities. In early February of this year, Williams reached a settlement with Netflix, and the legal proceedings came to an end.

The main real-life protagonist of The CrownQueen Elizabeth II never publicly commented on the series, but other figures who appeared as supporting characters did. One of the most vehement was John Major, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 1990 and 1997. The former politician described the series as a "collection of malicious nonsense" after it depicted a supposed conversation between Major and Prince Charles planning a possible abdication of the Queen. Netflix quickly came to its defense. The Crown as a work of fiction.