(NewsNation) — A new documentary dives into a story of alien abduction and has sparked controversy, with the lead subject suing Netflix over the film.
Linda Napolitano says the docuseries, “The Manhattan Alien Abduction,” defames her by including interviews and content from Carol Rainey, a skeptic of her story and the ex-wife of the UFO investigator who first publicized the case.
Here’s what you need to know about the documentary and the case behind it.
The story of the Manhattan Alien Abduction
The documentary tells the story of Linda Napolitano, a New York housewife who said aliens abducted her from her 12th-floor apartment in Manhattan in 1989.
Napolitano’s story was investigated by UFO researcher Budd Hopkins, published as a book in 1997 and now has become the focus of a film that also shines a skeptical light on her account.
Napolitano had previously contacted Hopkins regarding an alien encounter she said she had in the Catskills years prior. During the 1989 abduction, Napolitano said she was experimented on by extraterrestrials and reportedly had X-rays taken showing an object that had been implanted in her nose.
Hopkins, who died in 2011 and was not a part of the film, believed the case to be important due to a number of witnesses coming forward to say they had witnessed the abduction.
Napolitano would then go on to recount encounters with mysterious individuals claiming to be security agents and another encounter with extraterrestrials that included her sons.
Who are the key characters in the case?
Linda Napolitano: Napolitano says she was abducted by extraterrestrials in Manhattan in 1989. She appears in interviews on the series as well as in archival footage that was taken while her case was being investigated.
Carol Rainey: Rainey was married to the UFO researcher investigating Napolitano’s case and who filmed multiple interviews with her and other subjects. Rainey is openly skeptical of Napolitano’s story and was interviewed for the film before she died in 2023 and also appears in archival footage.
Budd Hopkins: A noted UFO investigator, Hopkins published a book on Napolitano’s story and brought it to the attention of the media. Hopkins is seen in archival footage but died in 2011 and is not otherwise a part of the film.
Richard and Dan: Two security agents who played a key role in Napolitano’s story, “Richard” and “Dan,” were never identified, and Hopkins never met them. Their identities remain a mystery, and they were not part of the film, although they are a key element of the case.
What is controversial about the documentary and case?
Napolitano’s case attracted a lot of attention in the media and, at one point, was being considered for a Hollywood film.
However, in the documentary, Rainey alleges that Napolitano is making up the entire experience. She cites evidence, including the fact that many of the witnesses were never identified, and some of the accounts do not definitely describe an alien encounter. She also suggests Napolitano wrote letters claiming to be from Richard and Dan, whom nobody else ever met or even spoke to on the phone.
One hypothesis is that Richard and Dan were security for U.N. Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, and Rainey believes that Napolitano forged a signature from Cuéllar about the incident. He later issued a statement to PBS denying any knowledge of the events.
Rainey also believes Napolitano’s X-rays could have been faked and pointed to the fact that later surgery found the supposed implant was missing. She also believes Hopkins may have led Napolitano while she was under hypnosis, resulting in a story that included elements he expected to hear.
Napolitano has maintained that she is telling the truth about her experience. In her lawsuit, she accuses Rainey of being a bitter ex-wife who is attempting to ruin her former husband’s reputation.
She is suing Netflix because she said producers misled her and that the film undermines her name and character. Napolitano is joined in the suit by a friend of Hopkins’ who appeared in the film and Hopkins’ estate.