May December‘s real-life inspiration for Joe bluntly responds to the new Netflix film based on his life. Directed by Todd Haynes, the film follows Natalie Portman as an actress, Elizabeth, researching for her role as a controversial woman Gracie (Julianne Moore) who, 20 years earlier, was the center of a notorious tabloid romance with a 13-year-old boy, Joe Yoo (played by Charles Melton as an adult).
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, May December‘s real-life inspiration for Joe, Vili Fualaau, bluntly responded to the Netflix film using his story:
I’m still alive and well. If they had reached out to me, we could have worked together on a masterpiece. Instead, they chose to do a ripoff of my original story. I’m offended by the entire project and the lack of respect given to me — who lived through a real story and is still living it. I love movies — good movies. And I admire ones that capture the essence and complications of real-life events. You know, movies that allow you to see or realize something new every time you watch them. Those kinds of writers and directors — someone who can do that — would be perfect to work with, because my story is not nearly as simple as this movie [portrays].
More to come…
