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Bryan Sullivan’s article entitled, “Netflix’s ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ And ‘Inventing Anna’ Subjects Of Defamation Lawsuits” was recently published in Forbes. The article examines the extent to which creators can legally bend and stretch the truth to conform to their storylines, without causing defamation to the real people they are portraying.

Using precedents from “The Wolf of Wall Street” case, Bryan examines what the “based on a true story” tagline means for the industry at large. “With the rise of true crime and historical dramas, producers navigate shaky territory where they balance telling a compelling story without crossing the line into defaming real-life people,” he said. “This requires diligence and creativity as was found in the “Wolf of Wall Street” case where the producers engaged in vetting efforts and created a character from a composite of three people.”

Read his full article here.