Source: Universal History Archive / Getty
A family member related to one of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims said they were “retraumatized” after watching a clip from the new Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
Following the show’s release on Sept. 22, a social media user named @Ericthulhu took to Twitter to sound off about the viral scene featuring his cousin Rita Isbell, the older sister of 19-year-old Errol Lindsey, who was killed by Dahmer sometime between 1978 and 1991.
In the emotional scene, actress DaShawn Barnes re-enacts the moment from the 1992 trial where Rita becomes hysterical after coming face to face with the deranged killer in court.
“I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge right now, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbells) are pissed about this show,” @ericthulu tweeted while sharing the clip.
“It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?”
Actor Evan Peters plays Jeffery Dahmer in the new series co-created by American Horror Story producer Ryan Murphy. But on Instagram, Eric said he would not be supporting the show.
In a follow-up post on Twitter, @ericthulhu criticized Netflix producers for recreating his cousin’s “emotional breakdown in court” for the sake of entertainment.
“Like recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is WILD,” he tweeted.
Ericthulhu says The Isbells weren’t notified about the Netflix show
After the post went viral, some users wondered if the Isbell family or other Dahmer victims were notified or compensated prior to the show’s release, but @ericthulhu claimed that his family had no clue the project was coming out.
“It’s all public record, so they don’t have to notify (or pay!) anyone. My family found out when everyone else did.” He added:
“So when they say they’re doing this “with respect to the victims” or “honoring the dignity of the families,” no one contacts them. My cousins wake up every few months at this point with a bunch of calls and messages and they know there’s another Dahmer show. It’s cruel..”
A few social media goers rushed in to support @ericthulhu after he revealed the shocking news.
“As someone who has an interest in ‘true crime,’ this is despicable,” one person replied. “Movies/docs should never be made about real-life killers/victims unless they have explicit permission from the victims’ families and those families give permission to everything that’s included. And one is enough.”
While another user commented:
“My heart goes out to you and your family. I cannot imagine having the worst part of your life recreated and put out as entertainment. I am so sorry and I hope this tweet gets the attention it deserves.”
What do you think about the series? Tell us in the comments section.
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