Louis Theroux ‘struggled’ to get shock new true crime documentary made
Louis Theroux went through a “struggle” to get his hit new documentary made.
The filmmaker, 54, was at the helm of ‘Tell Them you Love Me’, which has been hailed Netflix’s new ‘Baby Reindeer’ as it has soared up the streamer’s most-watched chart after it was hosted there following its premiere on Sky Documentaries.
It delves into the shock true story of a female professor who had an affair with a nonspeaking man with cerebral palsy and the mental age of an 18-month-old baby.
Despite it turning out to be a hit, Louis – whose Mindhouse production house was behind the film – told The Sun: “It was a struggle to get the film commissioned.”
He added: “At its heart is a mystery – whether two people were in a Romeo and Juliet love story or whether it is a horrific crime.
“I think its success speaks to how powerful and emotionally complex the story is. You never quite know where it will go next.
“It was nearly 10 years ago that I first came across this story.”
Louis added about its newfound popularity: “It shows films you might think are risky or troubling or 'difficult' can also be compelling and reach a big audience.”
Executive producer Arron Fellows said: “Its success shows how captivated audiences are by real-life stories, even sensitive ones.”
The film focuses on how Professor Anna Stubblefield, then 39, met Derrick Johnson in 2009, with his family hoping her experience in “facilitated” communication could help their almost mute son, who was then 28, to communicate using a keypad.
But within weeks their relationship became sexual to the horror of Derrick’s family who doubted he had consented as it was Prof Stubblefield who was driving his thoughts on the keypad.
She was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault and sentenced to 12 years in jail, but after two years her conviction was overturned.
