By RTL Street·2 minutes ago·Edited: 2 minutes ago
RTL Street
Sometimes lawsuits come along that are so bizarre you can’t believe your ears. That includes the lawsuit against Anne Stubblefield, a respected college professor who had a controversial relationship with the severely disabled Derrick Johnson. She claims the relationship was consensual, but his family accuses her of rape. The documentary “Tell Them You Love Me” about the case is causing a stir.
“The fact that she believed he loved her was probably the scariest part.”
In the documentary, both Derek and Anne’s family have their say. Derek’s brother, John Johnson, says he was at the same college as Anne, and that she called him one day about his brother. Anne heard that Derek couldn’t talk and had cerebral palsy and offered to help him with his communication skills. Anne’s parents had both worked in special education for many years and she wanted to follow in their footsteps.
John saw no harm in it and was glad that someone wanted to help his brother. Soon it seemed that Anne’s “lessons” actually helped: she claimed that she had managed to separate Derek’s mind from his body and taught him to communicate via keyboard. This allowed Derek to “speak” for the first time in his life. However, as time passed, his family made a shocking discovery. They suspected Anne was abusing Derek. However, according to Anne, things were different: the two allegedly began a sexual relationship with mutual consent.
Although Anne was married at the time, Derek assaulted her and the two quickly fell in love. However, Derek’s family doesn’t believe it: according to them, Derek is unable to even enter into a physical or emotional relationship with anyone. Derek wears a diaper and needs to be groomed all day. So they decided to charge Anne with sexual assault.
In the documentary, the relationship between Anne and Derek is discussed in detail, but viewers also see its aftermath. The film provides a glimpse into the court case, in which the final verdict can also be heard. One thing is certain: people who have watched the documentary will collectively side with Derek’s family. They do not believe that the severely disabled Derek was capable of entering into a relationship with Anne and are shocked by the side of her that is shown in the documentary. There are angry reactions on X. “This is so scary,” one person wrote. “Probably the scariest part is the fact that she thought he loved her,” said another. “This documentary makes me so angry,” said another angry viewer.
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Curious about the documentary? So far, it can only be watched on Netflix in America, but in the Netherlands you can actually stream it on SkyShowtime. You can watch the trailer below:
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