'Dahmer' Becomes Second-Biggest Netflix Series Ever Despite Recent Controversies

Dahmer has become Netflix second-popular series after Stranger Things, but relatives of real-life Dahmer victims are boycotting the show.

Dahmer has become Netflix's second most-popular series behind Stranger Things. In its third week, the miniseries has topped the streamer's global Top 10 English TV List with 205.33 million hours viewed, per Deadline. In its debut week, the show received 196.2 million hours in views, followed by 299.84 million hours viewed in its second week. This trails the fourth season of Stranger Things, which amassed 1.35 billion hours watched in its premiere month.

Despite its wins, the Evan Peters-led show is facing backlash from relatives of real-life Jeffery Dahmer victims. On Monday (October 10), Shirley Hughes, the mother of Dahmer's victim Tony Hughes, told The Guardian that the depiction of her son's death and aftermath was inaccurate.

"I don't see how they can do that," the 85-year-old woman said. "I don't see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there."

Tony Hughes was a deaf and mute Black man who met the serial killer at a Milwaukee gay bar in May 1991. Associated Press reports that Hughes went home with Dahmer, who drugged Hughes before dismembering his body and keeping his skull. In the series, however, Dahmer is shown financial contributing to the search effort for Hughes' before cooking and eating his liver.

Shirley Hughes isn't alone in her plight against the Netflix series. In September, Eric Perry, a cousin of victim Errol Lindsey, tweeted that Dahmer is "retraumatizing" his family.