Earlier this year, in January, countless organizers, activists and citizens rejoiced upon learning that clemency had finally been granted to Cyntoia Brown, a sex trafficking victim who was serving a life sentence for admitting to killing a man who solicited her for sex when she was 16 years old.
On Tuesday (July 2), it was revealed that Netflix will be telling Brown’s story in the form of a new documentary, set to follow her journey to clemency, which began in 2004 when she was arrested in Nashville, Tenn.
Brown was tried as an adult, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. After over a decade of legal challenges, Gov. Bill Haslam granted her request for clemency; a move that celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Rihanna celebrated after utilizing their platforms to help raise awareness of Brown’s case.
As reported, the upcoming documentary will be directed by Daniel H. Birman, who previously directed Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story, which aired in 2011 as part of PBS’ “Independent Lens” series.
The feature, which remains to be titled, will track the legal progress made in Brown’s case and will include a focus on her long-awaited release, which is currently slated for August of this year.
Upon learning of the news that her request for clemency was granted, Brown issued a statement thanking those who supported her over the past fourteen years.
“I am thankful for all the support, prayers, and encouragement I have received,” Cyntonia said earlier this year. “I am thankful to my lawyers and their staffs, and all the others who, for the last decade have freely given their time and expertise to help me get to this day. I love all of you and will be forever grateful. With God’s help, I am committed to live the rest of my life helping others, especially young people. My hope is to help other young girls avoid ending up where I have been.”
At the time of this report, an anticipated release for the Netflix documentary has not yet been announced.