Cyntoia Brown Says She Has Nothing To Do With Forthcoming Netflix Documentary
The documentary arrives on April 29.
The harrowing saga of Cyntoia Brown is coming to Netflix. On Wednesday, the streaming service released the official trailer for Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story. View the full trailer above.
Following the trailer's release, Brown took to Twitter where she said she didn't participate in the documentary "in any way."
"However, I am currently in the process of sharing my story, in the right way, in full detail, and in a way that depicts and respects the woman I am today," she tweeted. "While I pray that this film highlights things wrong in our justice system, I had nothing to do with this documentary."
In 2006, Tennessee Juvenile Court Judge Betty Adams Green convicted Brown for the 2004 shooting death of Johnny Allen. Brown, who was 16 years old at the time, claimed that as a victim of human trafficking, the shooting was a matter of self-defense. She served 15 years in prison, earning her GED, as well as an associate and bachelor's degree from Lipscomb while incarcerated.
READ: Gospel of Cyntoia Brown: The Newly-Freed Woman Credits Her Survival to God During Riverside Church Talk [Recap]
Green originally gave Brown a life sentence. After the details of her case went viral in 2017, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam commuted her sentence to 15 years. According to Haslam, the decision came "after careful consideration of what is a tragic and complex case."
In 2011, filmmaker Daniel H. Birman released Me Facing Life: Cyntoia's Story, a documentary about Brown's life leading up to incarceration. Years later, celebrities like LeBron James, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and Kerry Washington spoke out about Brown's case.
READ: Cyntoia Brown Unveils Cover For Her Forthcoming Memoir Free Cyntoia
In March 2018, the Tennessee Board of Parole announced a clemency hearing for Brown's petition. Prison employees, victim's rights advocates, and prison employees testified on her behalf. In August 2019, Brown revealed the cover for her forthcoming memoir, Free Cyntoia.
Murder to Mercy will be added to Netflix on April 29.