Netflix is known for its dedication to their true crime fans. The streaming platform is no stranger to a serial killer documentary, horror film, or a suspenseful mini-series. While it’s human nature to have a morbid fascination with the worst of humankind, we sometimes have to to stop and ask ourselves how far is too far.
Dahmer is the latest Netflix series to cause a comotion amongst true crime fans, and a sister of one of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims is speaking out against the hit show.
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“Dahmer” hit Netflix on September 21 and has already become a true crime fan favorite.
The show stars Evan Peters as the titular Dahmer and Niecy Nash-Betts as the killer’s real-life neighbor, Glenda Cleveland.
Dahmer is largely told from the perspective of the victims which helps differentiate it from most other true crime TV content.
With that being said, the show has been called out for its controversial nature.
Understandably , family members of those who lost their lives at the hands of this serial killer are finding the show to be incredibly upsetting.
One of the women to speak out against the show is Rita Isabell, the sister of Errol Lindsey.
If you’ve completed the series, then you’d recognize Rita from the powerful victim impact statement speech she gave in 1992, which they recreated for the Netflix show.
“The reason why I said what I said during that impact statement was because, during the trial, they were portraying him as being so out of control he couldn’t stop himself. But you have to be in control in order to do the things that he was doing. You have to very much be in control,” she told the outlet.
“When I saw some of the show, it bothered me, especially when I saw myself — when I saw my name come across the screen and this lady saying verbatim exactly what I said.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought it was me. Her hair was like mine, she had on the same clothes. That’s why it felt like reliving it all over again. It brought back all the emotions I was feeling back then,” Rita explained.
She told the outlet that Netflix didn’t contact her about the series.
“But I’m not money hungry, and that’s what this show is about, Netflix trying to get paid,” she said. “I could even understand it if they gave some of the money to the victims’ children. Not necessarily their families. I mean, I’m old. I’m very, very comfortable. But the victims have children and grandchildren. If the show benefited them in some way, it wouldn’t feel so harsh and careless.”
“It’s sad that they’re just making money off of this tragedy,” Rita added. “That’s just greed.”
“The show bringing up old feelings did hurt, but it also benefits me,” she explained. “I benefit from it because I can deal with it differently today than I did in the past. I can talk about it with not as much anger.
h/t: Insider
