Netflix viewers have been left "sick to their stomachs" after watching the platform's latest chilling documentary.
The streaming giant recently added Tell Them You Love Me, which was directed by Nick August-Perna and executive-produced by Louis Theroux.
Watch the Tell Them You Love Me trailer below:The shocking true story delves into the controversial relationship between Anna Stubblefield, a white, abled philosophy professor, and a nonverbal Black man named Derrick Johnson, who had cerebral palsy.
Back in 2009, Stubblefield, then aged 39, met 28-year-old Johnson after his family hoped her expertise could help their nearly mute son to communicate using a keypad.
What started as an educational endeavor took a sudden turn as Anna - who was married at the time - fell in love with her student, and claimed the two had a consensual sexual relationship.
Johnson's family was left horrified by the discovery and reportedly told her that he couldn't engage in physical or emotional intimacy. They added that the extent to which he used a keyboard to communicate with her wouldn't have been likely unless the professor had manipulated his hands.
The streaming service described the doc as a scandalous exploration of "the controversial relationship between a professor and a nonverbal man that leads to a trial over race, disability, and power".
Upon watching the new release, many horrified users took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their reactions.
One person penned: “I’ve watched A LOT of documentaries but this was truly some of the sickest s*** I’ve ever seen. That woman needs to be PUT AWAY FOREVER.”
A second user shared: “I randomly clicked on a show on Netflix last night called 'Tell Them You Love Me' & it ended up being one of the most disturbing & uncomfortable documentaries I’ve ever seen & I’ve seen a lot."
“It made me sick to my stomach,” a third wrote, per IGV, while a fourth added: "Tell Them You Love Me might be one of the most unsettling documentaries I’ve ever watched on Netflix."
In 2013, Stubblefield was charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to NJ.com.
As FC communication - which is an assisted typing technique - was not recognized by science, the court ruled that “no evidence related to FC would be considered,” as cited by Forbes.
Two years later, the jury found Stubblefield guilty on both counts, and she was sentenced to two, 12 years terms in prison. However, in 2017, her verdict was overturned by a New Jersey state appellate court and she was granted a new trial with a new judge.
The professor took a plea deal and pleaded guilty to the lesser third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact. She was sentenced to time served and released from prison.
Tell Them You Love Me soared to the top of Netflix's chart after its release.
Discussing the subject of the documentary, August-Perna told Netflix: “It’s a complex film about some very nuanced ideas...For me, it’s about people who became enmeshed in a tragedy together.”
“I came to this story originally via a New York Times article, maybe 10 years ago, and I was riveted by it,” Theroux added. “It sat on the fault lines of so many big social questions — around race, sexuality, and, yes, disability.”
Despite her guilty plea, Stubblefield contended in the film that she was "not guilty of a crime".
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