True crime fans struggle through “hard to stomach” Netflix documentary

The new Netflix release, Tell Them You Love Me, has caused a stir in the true crime community, with a number of viewers saying they struggled to finish the “hard to stomach” documentary. 

Tell Them You Love Me examines the chilling true case of Anna Stubblefield, a Rutgers University ethics professor who was arrested for engaging in a sexual relationship with her student Derrick Johnson, a non-verbal man with cerebral palsy. 

As well as highlighting issues regarding consent and disabilities, the true crime case has sparked a debate surrounding the racial issues it presents. 

Experts including Dr Howard Shane did not consider Stubblefield — a white, middle-class woman — to be a predator, despite claiming Johnson had the “mental capacity of a six to 12-month-old child.”

Additionally, Stubblefield herself appears in Tell Them You Love Me where she’s shown to have a comfortable life and maintain her belief that she didn’t do anything wrong. 

It’s for this reason many viewers have found the Netflix documentary a tough watch. Taking to Reddit, one wrote, “I hate that I see this woman smiling, free, and insisting she’s not guilty of a crime. She is a predator and a r*pist.

“She preyed upon a disabled Black man from a low SES community (Irvington, NJ) and his family under the guise of helping. She was a professor of philosophy, not a healthcare professional.”

“I can barely get through this documentary because I’m so furious,” they added. 

Another said, “I’m not watching this through the eyes of an SLP. I’m watching it through the eyes of a sister of somebody who doesn’t speak verbally.

“I’m f*cking sick and only 10 minutes in. Literally stopped to call my mom. I seriously cannot believe this r*pist has the nerve to say she did nothing wrong within the first like five minutes.

“It is my family’s biggest fear that some sicko will abuse my sibling.”

A third added, “I agree it was a hard watch. I almost stopped at the 15-minute mark. It was hard to stomach, especially with there being multiple people who stood by the delusion, it made my stomach churn.”

Others feel angry at the outcome of the trial. In 2015, Stubblefield was found guilty of sexually assaulting Johnson, resulting in a 12-year prison sentence. 

However, in 2017, the verdict was overturned on a technicality and her sentence was reduced to time served. Now, she is free and living life out of the public eye. 

“The fact that she only ended up with two years was a great miscarriage of justice,” said one Redditor. 

Another said about Stubblefield’s appearance in Tell Them You Love Me, “She was smiling talking about them being in love and being intimate. 

“Like after all this time, you’re smiling? After going to prison? Losing your family? You’re smiling about what you’ve done? The anger I feel all over again.”

Tell Them You Love Me is streaming on Netflix now. For more true crime, read about what happened to the Carter family, how to watch the Herb Baumeister documentary, and whether Ashley Madison’s Sam and Nia Rader are still together.