The doc focuses on the relationship between Derrick Johnson and Anna Stubblefield
Warning: this article contains discussion of sexual assault some may find distressing
A Netflix true-crime documentary has viewers are calling it one of the ‘most unsettling’ they’ve ever watched.
The doc, which is executively produced by Louis Theroux, explores the case of philosophy professor, Anna Stubblefield, and her relationship with Derrick Johnson, a 30-year-old non-verbal man who suffers with a condition called cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy is the name given to a group of conditions that affect movement and posture.
The pair met when Derrick’s brother, John, approached Stubblefield (who was his professor at the time) about his brother’s condition.
After meeting with John, Stubblefield offered to help Derrick with his communication skills.
The professor was married at the time, but claims that she and Derrick struck up a consensual sexual relationship.
However, his mother, Daisy Johnson, says her son was incapable of engaging in physical or emotional intimacy.
The documentary chronicles the relationship between Stubblefield and Derrick and the conflict that led to a criminal trial and a felony conviction.
Derek Johnson (left) is the subject of a new true crime documentary (Netflix)
Directed by The Swell Season’s Nick August-Perna, Tell Them You Love Me, which is described by Netflix as ‘scandalous’, explores ‘the controversial relationship between a professor and a nonverbal man that leads to a trial over race, disability and power’.
After initially pleading not guilty to charges, Stubblefield was convicted of aggravated sexual assault in 2016 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In 2017, an appeals court overturned her conviction and ordered a retrial.
A year later, Stubblefield pleaded guilty to ‘third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact’, but claimed in the Tell Them You Love Me doc that she was ‘not guilty of a crime’.
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One viewer said the doc was ‘unsettling’ to watch (Netflix)
Following the doc landing on the streaming service, viewers have been having their say across social media.
One user of X (formerly known as Twitter) took to the platform and said: “Tell Them You Love Me might be one of the most unsettling documentaries I’ve ever watched on Netflix.”
A second user commented: “Just watched Tell Them You Love Me, and I really want to have a conversation about it. I’m so conflicted because I can see both ends of the spectrum.”
A third person said it made them feel ‘very uncomfortable’.
“Tell Them You Love Me has to be one of the most disturbing documentaries on Netflix.” someone else said.
You can watch the documentary on Netflix now.
Featured Image Credit: Netflix
