Central Park Five prosecutor Linda Fairstein dropped by publisher after Netflix miniseries sparks firestorm

Linda Fairstein.
(Image credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Linda Fairstein, the Central Park Five prosecutor who has come under fire after a Netflix miniseries refocused the public's attention on the case, has just been dropped by her publisher.

A Dutton spokesperson said on Friday that the publisher has "terminated its relationship" with Fairstein, The Associated Press reports. Fairstein since 1996 has published a series of crime novels, including the recent Blood Oath, which was released by Dutton in March 2019.

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Since then, Fairstein has resigned from the nonprofit organization Safe Horizon and from Vassar College's board of trustees, with Vassar College President Elizabeth Bradley saying that Fairstein "believed that her continuing as a Board member would be harmful to Vassar," NBC News reports. In a resignation letter, The New York Times reports Fairstein called When They See Us "grossly and maliciously inaccurate," criticizing "those embracing the mob mentality that now dominates social media" and labeling DuVernay a "rashly irresponsible filmmaker."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.