Is Tell Them You Love Me based on a true story?

Tell Them You Love Me, directed by Nick August-Perna, was released on Netflix on June 14, 2024. The documentary stars Kate Dulcich as Anna and Jerron Herman as Derrick in lead roles. Richard Rampolla, Brenda McCullough, and Julian Thomas also join the cast, among others.

Yes, the film is based on a real story. It deals with the case and trial of Anna Stubblefield. Anna was convicted in 2015 of aggravated se*ual assault, and in 2016, she was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The documentary takes place mostly in Irvington, West Orange, and New Jersey.

The plot revolves around Anna Stubblefield, a professor at Rutgers University, who had a s*xual affair with Derrick Johnson. Derrick was a non-verbal black man who had cerebral palsy. When Anna disclosed her relationship with Derrick, Derrick's mom claimed that her son was incapable of giving consent because of his medical condition.

The official synopsis of Tell Them You Love Me sheds light on the complex narrative:

"Tell Them You Love Me explores the extraordinary story of Anna Stubblefield, an esteemed university professor who becomes embroiled in a controversial affair with Derrick Johnson, a non-verbal black man with cerebral palsy. Anna says she unlocked Derrick's mind from his body by teaching him to communicate using a keyboard."

It further continues:

"But when Derrick's family begin to question his miraculous transformation, and Anna's intentions, it would lead to a criminal trial that would challenge our perceptions of disability and the nature of consent...of the case, this feature documentary weaves a riveting and endlessly nuanced story about communication, race, and s*x."

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Everything you need to know about Anna Stubblefield and the case in Tell Them You Love Me

In the documentary Tell Them You Love Me, the case of Anna Stubblefield is documented. Anna, a professor at Rutgers University-Newark, developed a romantic relationship with Derrick Johnson, a black man with cerebral palsy.

Anna and Derrick originally met in 2009, through Derrick’s brother John. John wanted the professor to help his brother with his communication. Anna understood what she was doing because her parents were both Ph.D holders in special education and worked with individuals with impairments.

She assisted Derrick Johnson in learning how to operate a keyboard. He could soon type on his own and also started taking a university class.

According to a Telegraph report from January 2024, Stubblefield and Johnson got closer when she was teaching him how to use a keyboard to communicate. The professor would use her hand to support him while he typed on the keyboard. Around this same time, they engaged in a s*xual relationship at Stubblefield's office.

Stubblefield confessed to Derrick's family that she and Derrick had fallen in love and had a consensual s*x. However, Derrick’s mother, Daisy Johnson, disagreed, believing her son incapable of engaging in physical or emotional relations due to his cerebral palsy.

Derrick’s mother also claimed that her son couldn't use a keyboard to communicate. According to her, Stubblefield was even manipulating his hands.

The conflict between Stubblefield and the Johnsons led to a criminal trial in 2015, resulting in her imprisonment for 22 months. In 2016, she was again charged with se*ual assault and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

In the trailer of the documentary, Stubblefield says:

"I’m not guilty of a crime."

Watch the documentary to take a deeper dive into the case and understand if the professor was guilty or not.

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Tell Them You Love Me is currently streaming on Netflix.